the adventures of Blueberry and Raf
by Rlybro
Summary: Max messes up a portal and sends Rafael and himself to an alternate universe... the shadowhunters series universe. While being stuck there, they've taken upon themselves to get their parents together. 'who died' 'I'm getting married' '...' no shadowhunter weds in white. There's a rhyme for that goddammit.
1. Chapter I

'Max, hurry up!' Rafael shouted. He was trying to fend off three kuris, spider demons with poisonous fangs, at once, covering Max.

'I'm trying!' Max called back, with a panicking voice. 'I've never done this before!'

Rafael swore as he dodged the poisonous fangs of a kuri, it missed him by an inch.

'I know,' he gritted, slashing his blade at a kuri. One down, two to go. He could see Max trembling from the corner of his eye and tried to reassure him, 'Come on Max, you can do it. You've seen papa do it a thousand times. You can do it.' 'Thanks,' Max murmured, barely audible, but Rafael caught it. He smirked as he said, 'Now hurry up, blueberry. We'll be late for dinner.' Max didn't reply, but Rafael could feel him rolling his eyes.

Rafael managed to kill the second demon, but the last one was bigger and stronger than the others. Raf was also running out of energy pretty quick. He wouldn't be able to hold the kuri off for much longer. 'Done!' he heard Max call out behind him. Thank Raziel! 'Come on! Hurry!' He didn't need to be told twice as he attacked the kuri one last time, pushing him back before he sprinted towards the portal Max made. The New York institute, he thought as he leaped into the portal.

For some reason, the journey was a lot bumpier and longer than usual. But he discarded the thought quickly, thinking that it was probably because Max was new to making portals. The landing was rough too. Rafael often praises himself for his steady landings, during trainings or whenever he needed to jump out of the second floor window to make a quick escape from aunt Izzy's cooking (she's getting better, but not quite to the point where one would like to eat it. Except for Uncle Simon, but he… well he's pretty much obliged to eat it so he doesn't count). So it was quite a shock, literally, when he landed face first onto the carpet.

Rafael jumped to his feet when he heard a startled scream. He immediately changed into a fighting position. With his seraph blade still glowing in his hand, he checked his surroundings. He was in a bedroom, it was a pretty organized, except for the heap of clothes on the bed. It was the woman in the room that caught his eye. She had a golden whip ready in her hand, her hair was pulled back in a messy bun and her dark eyes looked pissed as hell. Rafael recognized her in an instance: it was his aunt Izzy, but something wasn't right. She looked...younger? She also looked pretty naked, for she stood in front of him while wearing nothing but a towel. Quickly Rafael turned his head and averted his eyes. He didn't want to see his aunt in anything less than the occasional crop top and miniskirt. Though she started to cover up more since her pregnancy… wasn't her belly bigger? 'I-I'm sorry!' Rafael spluttered. 'I wa-AH!' A sudden weight threw him on the ground and he nearly impaled himself with his blade. His prided angelic elegance was having a bad day.

'urg…' Rafael groaned. Max had fallen on top of him. He tried to push his brother off, but he stifled when he felt something warm and sticky. His heart skipped a beat. 'Shit!' Rafael carefully turned so that he now cradled Max in his arms. His eyes scanning Max' body, searching for the wound. Blood was flooding out of Max' left shoulder, the boy self was squirming with pain, his breathing was ragged. Panic and guilt flooded Rafael. Max had been bitten by the kuri that he had failed to kill.

Always make sure to eliminate the demons, or at least make sure that they're too injured to do further damage until backup comes. The words of his uncle rang clear through his head. He had focussed so much on getting to the institute for backup –his phone broke during the fight and Max hadn't brought his- that he forgot about the words that his uncle Jace told them to always remember during fights. To make it worse, he had abandoned his little brother while the threat was still there. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm. He hand to help Max first, he could beat himself up later. He looked at the wound. How much of the poisonous venom has gotten into Max? The blood was spilling out of Max' arm pretty fast, so most of the venom should've gotten out too, right? He cursed himself for not paying more attention when his father taught them about what to do in situations like this. The venom was not his top priority. Right now he had to stop the bleeding before his little brother died of blood loss. He pulled his t-shirt off his head and wrapped it tightly around the wound. That would stop the bleeding temporarily. What now? Iratez, right. He took his stele out of his pocket and pulled max' shirt up. He was about to draw the alliance rune on Max when someone caught his arm. He looked up and saw his aunt stare at him like he was crazy. Thankfully, She was no longer only wearing a towel so Raf was able to look at her normally again. 'What are you doing?' she called. Not understanding what she was doing, or referring to, Rafael pulled his arm back. 'I don't have time for this, aunt Izzy!' He said and returned his focus onto Max, who was biting his under lip hard to stop himself from screaming out in pain. 'Just a second, blueberry,' Rafael whispered. 'I'll make it better, promise.' He placed the stele on Max' stomach and started drawing the alliance rune. He heard his aunt make some protesting sounds behind him but paid her no heed because he really didn't have time to deal with her 'pregnancy brain', as uncle Jace called it.

Having finished the rune on Max, he quickly drew one on his own arm along with an iratez. In the year that they'd been using the alliance rune, they found out that the effect rune magic could also be transferred. So if he'd draw an iratez on his arm without him being injured, Max' wounds would be healed. It was their only option since that Max's skin could only bear the Alliance rune. And just like every other time, the iratez' powers were transferred to Max. When he finally heard his brother's breathing even out, he leaned back and let out a breath in relief, letting his brother rest in his lap.

'What is Raziel's name?' he heard his aunt breath out behind him.

Raf turned around to face his aunt and could see her clearly for the first time since he crash-landed into the room. His aunt looked younger than when he had seen her last. She was also wearing a tight dress. A dress that was way too tight for a woman to wear while pregnant, and when he looked at her belly, he could see that there was no belly. Quickly he scanned the room. Uncle Simon's things were not in the room: no Star Wars poster, no weird-ass bubbleheads of fictional characters, no pictures of their wedding. Something wasn't right. And the lack of recognition in his aunt's eyes told him that he was right. Gently, yet swiftly he laid Max on the floor and stood up, his seraph blade steady in his hand.

The woman, not aunt Izzy, now looked wary of him too. Her whip was in her hand once again. 'Who are you?' Rafael asked. He had positioned himself in front of Max, shielding him from the stranger in front of them. 'I could ask you the same,' came the answer. 'You appear out of nowhere while I was, excuse you, naked. You brought an injured downworlder child with you,' Raf flinched when he heard her say 'downworlder', 'healed him with a rune, which should be impossible, called me your aunt even when I've never even seen you before, and now you're asking me who I am?' She was practically yelling by the end of her rant.

Suddenly, the door burst open and a certain golden- and red-haired couple came rushing in. 'Izzy!' Jace exclaimed. 'Are you all right? We heard you yelling.' Then, their eyes caught the two unfamiliar boys in the room, one lying asleep on the ground and one with a seraph blade in his hand. 'Who are they?' Jace asked warily. He set himself into a fighting position.

'That's what I've been trying to find out before you rushed in', Izzy said, her tone mildly irritated.

'Oh my God they're bleeding!' Clary gasped. She took a step forward, but stopped in mid-motion when Raf pointed his blade at her. 'Don't come any closer', he growled. It felt wrong to turn his weapon on his family, but he reminded himself that they're not his family, they just looked like them. He wasn't taking any risks when his brother was laid wounded beside him, however much the people in front of him looked like his beloveds. Clary held up her hands, slowly. 'I'm not going to hurt you,' she said, 'I just want to help.'

'Don't worry,' Izzy said while keeping her eyes on Rafael, 'the Latino already healed the warlock child with a rune.'

'With a what?!' Jace asked in disbelief.

'A rune, Jace, I saw it with my own eyes,'

'Are you sure that-'

'Yes, I'm absolutely certain that it was a rune. He drew a rune I didn't recognize on the child.'

'But I thought that runes could only be applied on shadowhunters,' Clary asked, she gave Jace a confused look.

'They can only be applied on shadowhunters, it's not possible to mark a downworlder, mundane or anything besides shadowhunters.' Jace stated.

'But-,' Clary started, before she was interrupted by Max' moaning. Rafael took his eyes off the people in front of him to glance at his brother for a second. Jace took the opportunity to leap forward and knocked the seraph blade out of Raf's hand. Clary rushed forward and bent down before Max. 'Aunt Clary?' Max asked, but he was hoarse, so came out like a barely audible whisper.

With his weapon out of reach and his little brother in danger, Rafael could feel his panic welling up. To get to Max, he'd have to get pass Jace. And if this Jace is anything like the real Jace back home, then he'd stand absolutely no chance in winning a hand-to-hand combat. But luckily, it wouldn't be a hand-to-hand combat. Raf could feel magic in his veins, it prickled at his fingertips. Thanks to the Alliance Rune, Raf had access to Max' magic. He wasted no time, he held his hand out toward Jace and threw him across the room with the swipe of his hand. Rafael usually threw with Max's blue fireballs when he used magic in combat, but even though the person in front of him was a stranger, he couldn't burn the man that looked like his uncle, the man he had known for huge part of his life and loved dearly. Rafael couldn't do it, after all, he was just a scared kid in an unfamiliar place. Jace flew against the wall ten feet away, a shocked expression on his face.

'Jace!' Carly and Izzy cried out, they turned to face Raf with surprise and disbelief clearly written on their faces. Rafael ignored it and rushed towards Clary and Max. 'Don't touch my brother', he growled at Clary. With another wave of his hand, he sent her flying. But not at the wall, he couldn't do that to her since she genuinely seemed like she wanted to help. But again, he wasn't taking any chances. Instead, he threw her on top of Jace, it was a softer landing and it'd keep Jace from getting up easily. Rafael heard Max suck in a sharp breath and Raf whipped his head towards his little brother dropping down on his knees a bit too fast, he felt a painful tingle going up his knees, he paid it no heed. He looked at Max, his brother was out cold. 'Shit!' Raf cursed. He had used too much of Max' magic, and he was already weak, to begin with. He was a terrible brother. First, he'd left Max behind without thinking twice, which resulted in Max being terribly wounded, then he uses too much of Max' power. I could have killed him. Tears welled up in his eyes. 'God, Maxi, I'm so sorry,' he whispered. Oh, how he wished that their dad or papa were here, they would've known what to do. Suddenly he heard the voice he craved to hear so much, 'Izzy! Jace!' The voice said. 'What in the name of the angel happened here?!' Rafael spun his head towards the voice and his watery eyes sought the face of the man that he'd willed with all his might to save them, to tell him that this was just another nightmare and was here to bring them home. His eyes caught the man's for just a second before he heard a soft 'sorry' behind him and something hard hit the back of his head. His eyes aren't blue, was Raf's last thought before everything went dark.

Liked it??

I don't know if I'll be able to update that often, but I'll try.

AN IMPORTANT REQUEST!!!

so, i've tried watching the series, but i couldn't let go of the original plot so i ended up NOT watching it. (Exp the malec episode, cuz it malec!!!) Everything i know comes from online posts or my friend so i'd appreciate it if you'd DM me some differences between the books and the series XXX

plz comment and tell me if you like it and whether i should continue.

PS: i have NOTHING agains matthew's eyes, they're beautiful- he's beautiful... BUT It's important to the plot so...


	2. Chapter II

It was dark. The back Rafael's head was pounding and his body felt heavy _. What happened?_ Rafael tried to remember the events that lead to him now, lying on a bed, with a massive headache. But his mind was too foggy to think so he gave up and just laid with his eyes ¬closed.

Just when he was about to drift off, he heard people approach, hissing quite aggressively. ' _He's a kid, Izzy! You can't just hit him on the back of his head!'_ Rafael would recognize that angry hiss everywhere. _Dad._ But his father's next words confused him. 'Just tell me how two children, a shadowhunter, and a _warlock_ , who are apparently brothers, managed to _portal_ into your room.' What is he talking about? _We're his sons, why is he talking about us like we're strangers?_ That's when Rafael remembered. The memories hit him like a truck: the kuris he failed to kill, Max' bloodied and unconscious body, the guilt and regret, the eyes that weren't blue. Raf's eyes snapped open and he gasped. _They weren't home._

He sat up and dizziness overwhelmed him. The world turned in front of his eyes and his headache worsened. He almost laid back down again. Almost. But he wouldn't, not when he was in an unfamiliar environment and certainly not before he found Max and made sure that his little brother was safe.

After a few seconds, the dizziness lessened a little. Rafael was about to step off the bed and start searching for Max, when he felt a warm and solid hand on his shoulder, holding him in place. Rafael looked up, and even when the world around him was spinning, he recognized the face in front of him. It was the face of his father. But at the same time, it wasn't. The face was younger and those stunning blue eyes that his papá loved so dearly were replaced by warm hazel ones. 'Don't sit up.' the man said gently. 'You need to rest.' It hurt, hearing him say those words. The man in front of him looked and acted so much like his father. He's not dad, Rafael reminded himself. It made him sad, but also angry and irritated for some reason. 'I don't _need_ to rest.' Rafael snapped. 'What I _need_ is to find my brother.' He tried to shrug the hand off, but the hand on his shoulder held firm. 'Your brother is fine.' the man assured him. His tone hasn't changed despite the way Rafael had snapped at him. 'Magnus, a warlock, is with him. He's treating your brother right now.' _Magnus_. The way the name was spoken was pained and longing, but it was covered up with forced nonchalance. _How strange,_ Raf thought, _that's not the way you'd say the name of your partner_. He quickly discarded the thought. He should be thinking about more important things than the love life of his not-parents, like his _injured brother_ for instance.

'I don't care!' Rafael insisted. 'I want to see my brother!' The man opened his mouth to protest, but Isabelle interrupted him before he started, 'Let him see his brother, Alec. You'd do the same if it was Jace.' Alec had nothing to say against his sister's argument, and the hand on Rafael's shoulder loosened. Alec sighed. 'You're right,' he said.

'I'm always right,' Isabelle grinned.

But Alec paid her no heed, his focus was on Rafael. 'Your brother is just a couple of beds down.' He said. Rafael nodded, which was a mistake. The world started to spin again, but Rafael just gritted his teeth and took a step off the bed. His brother was more important. He took another step and the dizziness hit him at full force. Rafael wobbled and fell, but a steady pair of arms caught him before he hit the ground. 'I knew this wasn't a good idea', Alec grumbled. 'You need to rest.'

'No!' Rafael gritted, trying to stand up again. 'I need to see if Max. He's wounded because of _me!_ ' He took another step forward. Alec didn't reply, but his arms were now hooked under Raf's arms to steady him as he made his way across the room, towards Max.

When they finally stood in front of Max' bed, Rafael felt like he'd faint. But he took a few breaths and waited patiently until the dizziness faded and the world stopped spinning. When he was able to see without feeling motion sick again, his eyes immediately went to Max' chest. He let out a breath of relief when he saw it rise and fall steadily. Max's still alive. Thank Raziel. Rafael then scanned Max' body for injuries, but the boy's injuries were healed and he had been changed into some fresh clothes. Raf's eyes then fell to the glittery Asian man who sat next to his brother's bed. He sat on one of those uncomfortable wooden chairs and was studying him with a curious glint in his brown eyes. No yellow cat eyes, Raf thought, just plain human eyes. Rafael was just about to open his mouth to make a comment when the pounding in his head returned. The headache spread from the back of his head to his temple. Rafael's hand shot up and held his head while he tried to calm his breathing. Alec's arms tightened.

'Are you all right?' Magnus asked, his voice full of concern. 'It's nothing,' Rafael gritted. 'It's just a headache. What about Max? Is he all right?'

'He's all right,' Magnus assured him. 'I've treated his wounds and dealt with his blood loss. It'll take time for him to regain his magic though.'

'Wha-what about the venom?' Raf panted. His headache seemed to get worse by the second. 'The Kuri venom. He- he got bitten.'

'Aah, so that's what it was', Magnus mused. 'But don't worry, it's out of his system. He's gonna be just fine.' Rafael's shoulders relaxed just a little bit. 'You on the other hand', Magnus said. 'You look like you're going to faint any minute now. What happened?'

'I don't know,' Rafael admitted. 'I woke up with this pounding headache. And right now it feels like my skull is going to split.'

'Izzy hit him in the back of his head with the hilt of his seraph blade to knock him out', Alec explained. Magnus sighed. 'Come here,' he told Rafael. But Rafael was barely able to stand, let alone walk over to the other side of the bed. 'Or not,' Magnus shrugged. He walked over to the two shadowhunters. 'Hold him still, darling,' he told Alec, who might've flinched at the pet name. But he held Rafael tight as he was told. 'Try to relax', Magnus whispered to Rafael. And then proceeded to mutter, 'Don't think I'm not charging you shadowhunters extra for this. Never thought you'd hurt a fellow Nephilim, and a child no less!'

Magnus worked his magic and Rafael could feel his headache ebb away. He let out a breath of relief. Now that the headache's gone, Rafael felt sleepy. He yawned. 'Looks like someone needs some rest', Magnus said. 'No,' Rafael interjected. 'I need to- ' he yawned- 'need to watch over Max.'

'We'll do that for you,' Alec said gently. 'Let's go back to your bed and get you some sleep.' 'I'm not leaving his side,' Rafael insisted sleepily. He rubbed his eyes. 'I'm-' 'Okay, Okay,' Magnus cut him off. 'How about this.' He snapped a finger and the bed that Max was lying on turned from a twin bed to a double bed. 'Now you can stay at your brother's side.' 'I'll change it back later,' Magnus added when Alec frowned at him. Rafael was too sleepy to reply, so Alec simply lifted him up and tucked him in next to Max. Rafael snuggled against his brother. He drifted off to sleep as soon as he closed his eyes.

.

.

.

Max woke up with the urgent need to go to the bathroom. The room was dark. The curtains were drawn and the only source of light came from a dim witchlight in the corner of the room. It took a while for Max' eyes to adjust. When he found himself lying in an infirmary bed next to his brother instead of his usual room in the institute, he felt quite disoriented.

Slowly, he sat up and gently shook Raf's shoulders. 'Rafa! Raf! Wake up!' Max whispered. But Rafael was a deep sleeper, so Max shook his brother more roughly. 'Raahhf!' Max whimpered. 'Wake uuuup!' But that too had no effect. When Rafael was asleep, almost nothing would wake him up. You could be setting off fireworks in his room and he'd still be sleeping soundly. Max Sighed, and did the one thing that he knew would wake Rafael up: he slapped him in the face. It worked, Rafael shot up, almost head-butting Max in the process. 'What?!' Raf gasped. 'What happened?' Bewildered, he looked around. His body released its tension when he saw Max. Rafael sighed and rubbed his aching cheek. 'Did you really had to slap me that hard, Maxie?' Rafael whined. Max grinned. He may have slapped Rafael a bit harder than necessary.

'You'd never wake up otherwise,' Max said innocently.

'Why did you wake me up?' Rafael yawned, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

'I have to go to the bathroom', Max said. 'You need to come with me, it's dark.'

'That's what you woke me up for?' Rafael asked with disbelief. 'You're _ten_ Max, you can go to the bathroom yourself.'

'I know,' Max mumbled. His cheeks reddening a bit. 'But we're not in our usual rooms and the bathroom is down the hallway.' Something seemed to click in Rafael's mind and his eyes widened. 'Max!' he gasped as he gripped Max' shoulders. Max, though startled, did not flinch away. 'Max, _were not home!_ ' Max was confused, _not home?_ 'Bu-but this is the institute,' he sputtered.

'It is,' Rafael explained, 'but it's not.' It wasn't a great explanation. On the contrary, it just made Max even more confused. Rafael must have noticed that too, seeing the puzzled look on Max' face. 'Max,' Rafael said gently, 'do you remember what happened? The portal you made?' The portal? Max thought, what portal? He opened his mouth to ask, but the memories suddenly came flooding in: _his first portal, the way he had to fight the sudden attack of the Kuri after Rafael jumped through the portal, the pain when the Kuri bit him._ Max Gasped. 'Wha- what happened,' he breathed. 'What went wrong? Where are we?' Question filled his mind. _What did I do wrong? How are we getting back? Are dad and papa worried? This is my fault._

He was absorbed in his own mind, and at some point, he'd started to hyperventilate. 'Max! MAX!' Rafael snapped his fingers in front of Max' eyes to get his attention. It worked, with eyes wide of panic, Max stared Rafael in the eyes. 'Max, relax', Rafael whispered. He pulled Max into a hug. Max' breathing slowed. 'It's not your fault. If anything, it's mine. I shouldn't have left you alone with that kuri. You-you got hurt because of me.' Rafael's breath hitched. 'I'm so sorry Maxie, so sorry.' Tears rolled down Rafael's cheeks. Max hugged his brother tighter. 'It's not your fault, Rafa,' he whispered. He softly rubbed circles on Rafael's back the way his fathers did when he was sad. 'I'm here. I'm healed. We're safe. Or at least, I think we are.'

'We are', Rafael breathed. 'Kinda.'

'That's all that matters,' Max told Rafael. 'You seem to know more than me, so why don't you start explaining everything that's happened.' Max felt Rafael nod against his shoulder. 'But can we do this on the way to the bathroom? Cause I really need to go.' Rafael snorted and nodded. 'Let's go,' he said, drying his eyes, 'you little wuss.' Rafael took Max by the hand and led him through the room while explaining his theory about how they might've traveled to an alternate universe where everything was mostly the same, but not entirely. Rafael pushed the heavy doors open and the two of them were suddenly blinded by the light from the hallway. Instead of the warm witchlight that they were used to, they were met with cold, white light like the ones you see in offices. Max blinked a couple of time to adjust to the change. Rafael squeezed his hand and set the first step out of the infirmary. They could hear the presence of others, but the hallway was empty. The two brothers walked down the hall, and to their relief, the bathroom was located in the same spot as heir institute. Max went to the toilet while Raphael waited outside the door. When Max had washed his hand and came out, he heard footsteps rushing towards them. Max looked up and saw his uncle Jace- no, not his uncle, but a different, similar looking Jace with blue and brown eyes instead of gold - rushing towards them, or rather, the toilet. He slid to a halt in front of them and looked at them in surprise. 'Oh, you're up,' Jace said, his eyes glancing towards the bathroom door. He held up a finger, 'Just-Just wait here for a second.' And with that, he disappeared into the bathroom. A minute or so later, Jace stepped out again and dried his hand on his pants. He looked at the two children in front of him. 'uuh, so… I think I should bring to Maryse.' Jace said after a moment. Max and Rafael just nodded, not really knowing what to say to this alternate universe version of their uncle. Well, that was the case for Max, Rafael just found it awkward talking to someone he'd flung across the room.

The three of them walked down the hallway in an awkward silence. Max was the first to break it. 'Uhm, sir?' he asked, not really knowing how to address the person in front of him. 'What time is it?' There wasn't a clock in the infirmary, so he didn't know for how long they'd been out. Jace snorted. 'There's no need to call me sir, you can just call me Jace. And to answer your question-' he pulled out his phone from his pocket- 'It's about five in the morning.' Max nodded. _Five in the morning_. It was around six pm when the kuri attack happened, so they've slept for about 11 hours. No wonder Max felt so rested. And hungry. They fell into another silence. The further they walked, the more shadowhunters they came across. Shadowhunters they've never seen before. They mostly minded their own business, but Max could feel their stares when he walked past. It made him feel uncomfortable and self-conscious. He reached for Raf's hand. All those shadowhunters in the Institute confused Max, and Rafael too, no doubt. To them, an institute has always been a sort of a family business kind of thing. But the thing that bothered Max the most, was the amount of white throughout the Institute. Rafael was the first to speak up about it. 'uuh, Jace?' 'Yeah?' The blond replied. He looked at Rafael, his posture a bit wary. Rafael averted his eyes from Jace. 'I don't mean to pry, but erm, who died?'

'Huh?' He was obviously thrown off by the question. 'What do you mean?'

'The white,' Rafael said as if the color was explanation enough.

'Nobody died, eh-'

'Rafael,'

'Nobody died, Rafael. Why on earth would you think that?'

'But then,' Max mused, 'why is the Institute so white?'

'That's because I'm getting married', a voice said from behind. Max turned around and saw a younger version of his father walking towards him. He looked exactly like his father, but just as Rafael told him, his eyes were hazel and not blue. Max started to think that everyone in this universe had different eye colors than in theirs.

'You're getting married?!' Rafael asked in excitement. But his face turned into a puzzled expression. 'But what shadowhunter weds in _white_?'

Alec's brows furrowed, no doubt confused by the question. 'What's wrong with white?' he asked. 'It's a perfectly normal color for a wedding.'

'For a _mundane_ yeah,' Rafael replied. 'Not for a shadowhunter. Have you not heard of the rhyme?'

'What rhyme?' Jace asked. He'd walked over to Alec and the two parabatai now stood side by side, staring at the two children in front of them with a questioning look on both their faces.

'You know,' Max said, 'the first rhyme a shadowhunter learns.' No reaction. Rafael and Max exchanged a look and a nod. The two of them started to recite the rhyme,

' _Black for hunting through the night,_

 _For death and mourning, the color's_ White _._

Gold _for a bride in her wedding gown,_

 _And red to call enchantment down._

 _White silk when our bodies burn,_

 _Blue banners when the lost return._

 _Flame for the birth of a Nephilim,_

 _And to wash away our sins._

 _Gray for knowledge best untold,_

 _Bone for those who don't grow old._

 _Saffron lights the victory march,_

 _Green will mend our broken hearts._

 _Silver for the demon towers,_

 _And bronze to summon wicked powers.'_

'That one,' Rafael said when they finished. Again, the two shadowhunters showed no sign of recognition. 'urh! Never mind!' Rafael called out in frustration.

'Who are you marrying?' Max asked, expecting the obvious answer.

'He's marrying me.' A woman stepped out from behind Alec and slid an arm around his waist.

 _Wait, what?!_


	3. Chapter III

_'Alec. Alec! Calm down!' Alec halted and looked up. They had searched every book in the library in the hope of finding a book that could help locate the two missing boys. None of them had slept that night. But when that search turned out to be unsuccessful, Alec resorted to pacing around the room, and it was driving his siblings insane._

 _Alec spun towards Jace. 'Calm down?!' he cried. He stalked towards Jace. 'How in the world am I supposed to calm down when MY SONS ARE MISSING?!' Jace placed a hand on Alec's shoulders in solidarity. His voice was soft and reassuring when he said, 'Alec, I know how you're feeling-' 'You don't.' Jace placed a hand on his parabatai rune. 'You know I do. You're my brother, my parabatai, and I'm, we're-' he turned and gestured towards Izzy sitting in the armchair with a hand rubbing her huge belly, Simon standing next to the armchair with a hand on Izzy's shoulders and Clary standing at a table with a book in her hands- 'here for you. You're not alone in this. I'm sure that Magnus will have found something when he returns from the Spiral Labyrinth.'_

 _Alec managed a ghost of a smile at the thought of his fiancé, but it disappeared as soon as it appeared. His eyes were glossy. It was obvious that he was doing his best to contain his tears. Alec ran a hand through his hair and rested his forehead against his arm. Jace could feel that Alec's worry and panic were not decreasing through their parabatai bond._

 _He was grateful when Izzy stood up out of the chair and pulled Alec into a tight hug. It was a bit of an odd embrace at first because she was seven months pregnant, but she made it work. Alec nestled his face in the crook of Izzy's neck and broke. Alec was sobbing against his sister, his arms loose at his side while his hands gripped the ends of his sister's dress-shirt tightly. Izzy held him tight and rubbed circles on his back while whispering soothing words to him. It was a devastating sight. Alec was their brother, best friend, protector with a face that never showed a glimpse of the storm behind those stunning blue eyes. But now the façade has fallen, and they could see the wreck of the man inside._

 _._

 _._

 _._

Rafael had to do a double-take. His father, marrying a woman. _A woman_. Someone of the opposite sex. It felt fundamentally wrong. 'I'm Lydia Branwell,' Alec's fiancée said. 'I've heard that you've made quite an entrance last night.' Rafael ignored her, he was still staring at her hand around Alec's waist. 'But-but you're gay!' Rafael exclaimed. From the corner of his eye, Rafael could see Max nodding frantically in agreement.

'Wha- what I- I'm not gay!' Alec stuttered. His ears and cheeks were darkening into a deep crimson. 'You kids shouldn't go around spewing nonsense like that!' Jace, on the other hand, threw his head back and howled with laughter.

While his not-uncle was still laughing his ass off, Rafael decided to observe the woman that was to marry his not-father. She was pretty, no doubt, with her blond locks and slender figure. But Rafael still couldn't imagine Alec preferring this short, plain woman to the tall and glittery high warlock of Brooklyn. Plus the fact that Rafael saw a flash something in her eyes when he said that Alec was gay. It was as if she knew. Rafael didn't exactly know what it was, but he decided that he didn't like her. A quick look at Max told him that he was probably thinking the same thing.

Jace's laughter seemed to have finally subdued. He whipped a tear from his eye while he slapped Alec on the back with quite a force, but since that Alec was a shadowhunter, he didn't flinch, fall or need to pick up his glasses from where in landed three feet further on the ground like a certain uncle of theirs. 'Ha! That's the best thing I've heard all day!'

'It's still only 5 o'clock or so in the morning,' Lydia pointed out.

Jace shook his head and threw an arm around his parabatai's shoulders. 'You being gay, what a joke! Or is there something that you wanted to tell me, brother?'

Alec smiled awkwardly. He didn't meet Jace's eyes when he answered, 'n-no, nothing.'

Jace's expression changed by Alec's odd behavior. He furrowed his brows and opened his mouth to say something when someone cleared their throat behind them. The three shadowhunters stepped apart, revealing a strict looking woman in her late thirties, early forties. _Grandma_ , Raf thought. But the woman in front of him isn't the same as the one that'd lift him onto her leg and read him a bedtime story. No, this woman struck Rafael like the kind of woman that'd scold and ground you for not memorizing the entire history of the clave and being able to name all the inquisitors and consuls off the top of your head. Needless to say, the woman in front of him was not someone on whose lap he'd want to climb onto and listen while she reads him his favorite bedtime story.

'Mom,' Alec greeted. But she paid him no heed. Her focus was on the two little boys in front of her. 'Come with me,' she said coolly. She turned around without another word and stalked away, not even glancing back to make sure that they'd follow. Max reached for Rafael's hand and looked at him for answers. _Should they follow the stone cold version of their grandmother?_ For a second Rafael didn't want to follow her. She seemed rude and overconfident. He wanted to stay where he was just to piss her off. But When Jace placed a hand on Raf's shoulder and told them that he'd walk with them to her office, they didn't exactly have a choice. So they said their goodbyes, Alec announced that he was going back to bed for a few hours since that he hadn't slept the entire night –Rafael felt a bit guilty since that it's probably because of them- and Lydia said that she was going to help with the wedding preparation.

Maryse had staked off so fast that she was out of sight. So once again the trio found themselves in a silent walk. But this time it was mostly because the brothers were in anxious anticipation of what's to come and because Jace had something on his mind. Just before they arrived at Maryse's office, Jace turned towards the brothers and asked, 'What you just said about Alec…' he paused. 'Were you…speaking the truth? He seemed odd when he answered my question.' _So that's been on his mind._ Rafael was about to tell him that it wasn't his truth to tell when the office door opened with Maryse standing in the doorway.

'That took you long enough', she said disdainfully. 'Come in.' She opened the door a bit wider and indicated for them to get inside. Rafael heard Jace whisper a good luck before telling Maryse that he was heading back to bed for a few hours like Alec did. Maryse bid him goodnight -or morning, what do you use for 5 am? - and closed the door behind her. 'Please take a seat,' Maryse said gesturing towards the two uncomfortable looking chairs in front of her desk. The two brothers did as they were told and sat down. The chairs, Rafael thought, sat just as uncomfortable as they looked, maybe even more. Maryse took her time to sit herself down in her chair and took out a notebook and a pen from her desk drawer.

The entire situation felt tense and awkward. Especially when Maryse eyed the two of them down and started to make notes. She made notes about Rafael first. He hadn't a faintest idea of what she was writing, but he doubted that it was about his stunningly good looks. But then she looked at Max. Oh, he could feel the judgment and distaste, even when it wasn't towards him. Max shrunk under her stare and Rafael's blood boiled. _What had his brother done to deserve this?_ Absolutely nothing, that's what. So he straightened his back, leaned his body protectively towards Max and took his brother's hand. When Maryse turned to look at him, he stared her down, challenging her with his eyes the way that he'd seen his family members do. No one was going to give Max shit about being himself. Not even their grandma from a parallel universe.

If Maryse wanted to say something, she didn't show it. She just continued to scribble words down in her notebook.

 _How could someone who's so lovely and caring in their world have a parallel that's this horrible?_

Rafael thought that there must be something terribly wrong with this universe. First Alec's engagement with Lydia, and now this? Just thinking about the differences between his home and this place made him homesick and worried about whether they'd be able to go back home again. It felt quite depressing, but he didn't let it show. He was a Lightwood-Bane, and he'd keep his chin up high.

After what felt like ages, Maryse was done with scribbling. She folded her hands and looked at the boys. 'I have a few questions that I'd like you to answer', she said. Though her words were polite, her tone made it clear that she was getting her answers, one way or another. Max's grip tightened.

'Ah, an interrogation. Who doesn't like to be interrogated at five in the morning,' Raf said sarcastically. Maryse ignored his remark.

'Let's start off easy,' she said. Her expression was neutral, revealing nothing. It made Rafael a bit anxious. 'What are your names?'

'I'm Rafael, and this is my brother Max.' Rafael answered. He wasn't planning to let Max answer any the questions.

'What are your last names?' Rafael thought about telling her the truth, just to see her reaction. But decided against it. It would create too much trouble for the two of them.

He looked her in the eyes as he replied, 'Why would you need them? You know our first name, and how to call us, that's more than enough.'

A pause.

'Well then, Rafael' she said callously, 'You claim to be _brothers_ -' The way she spat out that word made Max flinch and Rafael's anger flare up. '-would you care to elaborate? There have been no records of a shadowhunter being raised with and or by a _downworlder_.'

Now Rafael was seriously pissed off. _How racist could she be?_ He gritted his teeth and balled his free hand into a fist, clenching it so hard that it left crescent marks. He took a breath to calm himself before he answered.

'Yes, Max and I are brothers. We always have been, and always will be. And yes, we know that we're not brothers by blood, we're both adopted. But family doesn't end in blood. You should know that. You have an adopted son yourself.' 'How-' 'You shouldn't interrupt, that's impolite.' It took Rafael a lot of willpower not to smirk of satisfaction at Maryse' expression. 'As I was saying, the reason that there're no records of a shadowhunter being raised with or by a downworlder is because we're not from here. And before you ask where we come from, there was a mistake made while making a portal, resulting in us ending up in this parallel universe. _Your_ universe. And believe me when I say that we want to be here as much as you do want us here, which is not at all. Now, all we ask is a place to stay and help with finding away back home. However different our universes may be, this is still an institute, and an institute can't deny a shadowhunter in need a place to stay, right? Or are the laws here different too?'

She rested her arm on her elbows, locked her fingers and placed her chin on top. She tilted her head slightly in an arrogant was as she said, 'However, there are no laws that obligate us to house a downworlder.'

This time Rafael didn't try to hide his anger. 'My brother stays with me,' he growled. ' _No one_ separates up.' Rafael knew she only said it to piss him off, but he couldn't let another insult slide. 'And if anyone tries,' he threatened, 'I _will_ make sure that they'll regret it.'

Rafael thought that he saw a ghost of a satisfactory smile on Maryse' lips, but it was gone so fast that he thought that he might've imagined it.

'Don't worry,' she said, 'I wasn't planning on kicking your brother out if that's what you were thinking.' Rafael wondered how much trouble he'd be in he'd punch her.

'One more question: I heard that you used magic when you fought my children and the Fairchild girl. How did you do it?'

 _Now's the chance to piss her off._ 'A magician never reveals his tricks. But if you're wondering whether or not I'm a real shadowhunter, don't worry, the blood of the angel flows through my blood as much as it flows through yours.' 'I think,' he added, and gave her his sweetest smile. To his satisfaction, he saw the corner of her eye twitch. From the corner of his eye, he could see Max trying to hide his smile by turning his head.

'I think it's my turn to ask a question', Rafael said. 'Where are our weapons and steles?' The fact that he didn't have his weapons on him has made him feel uneasy this entire time. He had no doubt that they'd taken them.

'Ah, yes, your seraph blades. Don't worry, they're safely guarded in the weapon room', she said. There was a certain smugness in her voice that annoyed Rafael. 'You're safe here, there's no need you to carry weapons. I'll appoint someone to… protect you during your stay. I'm sure Raj will be more than willing to assist.'

The last thing they'd need was a babysitter that followed their every movement. Especially someone that they didn't know. 'I'm sure he'd be willing, but he must have more important things to do than babysitting,' Rafael countered. 'But if you insist, I think that your daughter Isabelle would love to do it. She'd be a much better choice. Plus she kind of owes me for knocking me out and possibly damaging my brilliant brains. They're important, you know, brains.'

'My daughter doesn't owe you anything', Maryse said coolly. 'She did what had to be done. But I agree with you that she might be a better choice. It'll keep her from disgracing herself and our family by going out with those downworlders.' Her nose wrinkled in disgust at the thought. Rafael got what he wanted, though he didn't need to hear about his aunt's teenage love life, and certainly not in that manner.

Maryse rose, and so did the brothers. 'I assume you know your way around the institute.' They nodded. 'Very well. You can head down to the kitchen, breakfast will be ready.'

Rafael and Max nodded again and walked towards the door. Just before they stepped out, Maryse called, 'And Max?' They turned. 'The warlocks tend to _conceal_ their demon marks, not displaying for everyone to see.' She said it like it was something to be ashamed of, and that really pissed Rafael off. His little blueberry was perfect just the way he was.

He wanted to stalk up to her and scream all the insults he knew in her face, even the ones he wasn't allowed to use. But he decided to be the bigger person and stalked out of the room, taking his brother with him. He did, however, slam the door behind them with all his might.


	4. Chapter IV

'Jeez Max, how old are you?' Rafael asked sarcastically, 'Do you really need to cut off the crust of your PB&J?'

'I-'

'Don't speak with your mouth full, it's disgusting.'

Max swallowed. 'Yes, I do, Raf,' he answered. 'You know I don't like the crust, it's too chewy.'

'Whatever, just finish your breakfast.'

The two of them continued to eat in silence. Both Rafael and Max were very hungry after the events of the night prior. Rafael ate three peanut butter sandwiches (he didn't like peanut butter and jelly together, the combination was way too sweet for his taste), two bowls of cereal and a huge cup of orange juice. And no, he didn't eat too much, he's still growing.

And Max, who was a younger by two years, ate two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and drank a cup of milk. It was more than enough for a ten-year-old like him. When their hunger stilled, they sat back and relaxed in a comfortable silence.

The peaceful atmosphere was suddenly disrupted by a certain Isabelle Lightwood that burst through the kitchen door in a tight black crop top, shorts and matching high heeled boots that came to her tights. 'Good morning boys,' she said in a sarcastic cheery voice, 'I hope you've had a good night sleep, cause I certainly didn't.' She didn't look tired, not really. But that's probably because she covered her face with layers upon layers of make-up. 'God I need coffee,' she muttered while she staggered towards the coffee machine on the other side of the kitchen table.

'I had an excellent night's sleep, thank you', Rafael responded. 'Though that was _after_ someone took care of my pounding headache', he added.

Isabelle groaned. 'I'm sorry, okay. But I did what I thought was necessary during a fight. I mean, in my defense, you did throw my brother and Clary against the wall with magic.' She took a cup from the top shelve and poured herself a large cup of coffee. Isabelle grimaced when she took a sip. 'Bitter,' she murmured, but continued drinking it anyway.

'So,' she said while sipping her coffee, 'Mom briefed me about your, how should I put it, unique situation, so I'm officially your babysitter. What do you guys want to do?'

'Dunno,' Max responded, 'what do you usually do?'

'Hmm,' Isabelle pondered, 'What I usually do… Well, I usually start my day by training-'

'Not gonna happen,' Raf interjected, 'I've just eaten a lot for breakfast. If I'd train now, I'd puke.'

'-then I'd go see whether I need to go on patrol', she continued. 'If not, I'd go back to train with Alec and Jace, or I'd go out and have some _fun_ -'

The boys grimaced at the way she said it. 'Gross,' they said in unison.

'-but I don't think that we should do that,' she concluded.

' _You think_?' Rafael snorted. Isabelle shot him a look.

'Why don't you show us around the institute?' Max suggested, trying to keep his sarcastic brother form getting on their not-aunts bad side. 'We know the Institute, of course. But from what we've seen so far, things are quite different here.'

Isabelle turned to Max with a bright smile. 'I like that idea, let's go.' She finished her coffee in one big gulp and slammed her mug on the kitchen table as if it were a shot glass, making max flinch and wonder whether his aunt in this universe had some kind of drinking problem.

She walked to the door and halted with her hand on the handle. Her bright façade dropped when she looked back at them. 'Just so you know,' she said, her tone serious and threatening. Max could feel a chill running down his spine. 'I have some questions for you that you _will_ answer. Not now, but when we're in privet company.' Her head inched slightly towards her left side. Max' eyes shot to where she hinted towards. A security camera. Who even puts one in their home? Isabelle's serious expression disappeared as fast as it came. One second she was threatening and deadly, then she was herself again, with her characteristic sarcastic smile. She stepped out of the kitchen, the door closing behind her.

The two brothers stood in a stunned silence for a moment before Rafael broke it. 'Well, I guess we should follow her,' he shrugged in his usual lightness as if nothing just happened. Max sighed. 'I guess we don't have a choice.' With that, they followed Isabelle out of the kitchen.

.

.

.

'Here's the main hall,' Isabelle said, gesturing to the hypermodern hall with a lot of computer screens and unknown shadowhunters behind her. 'These screens there-' she pointed towards one of the screens on the wall- 'show all the demon activity in the city, and those guys-' she pointed at the shadowhunters working behind the screens- 'are in charge of keeping an eye on the demon activities.'

Isabelle walked towards a table and picked up a tablet. 'We also have a huge database of basically everything in here.' She handed the tablet to Rafael, who took it out of her hand way too eagerly. He was geeking out. Rafael _loved_ technology. Ever since he was little, he'd love to talk with his uncle Si about the newest mundane gadgets. But for some reason, the clave was still against it. So technically it's illegal for them to have mundane tech. Not that their family paid much heed to such unreasonable laws. Illegal or not, they didn't really need to follow those laws at home, since that their papa wasn't a shadowhunter. And thank Raziel for that, because Rafael would not be able to live without his iPad.

Long story short, Raf knew a lot about technology, But he'd never seen anything like this before. _And wait a second, is that glass screen there touchscreen_?! Rafael was literally bouncing up and down from excitement. _This is just like the Avengers!_ He thought. Raf was so excited that he might've squealed! But an elbow to his ribs from Max made him remember where he was and he quickly regained his posture. He coughed. 'So, eh, why does it look like the CIA or FBI headquarters in here?' he asked, keeping his voice as neutral and uninterested as possible. 'I thought the clave had a law against technology.'

'They did,' Isabelle answered, 'but when they realized that they could use it to improve demonhunting and keeping track of downworlders, they overruled the law and even started to encourage it.'

'Now that's something our clave could learn from,' Max muttered. Rafael nodded in agreement. It's efficient, it'd make their jobs a lot easier. Not to forget that it's also _very freaking cool_. Rafael stared down at the tablet in his hand. It looked very similar to the one he had at home, the operating system worked like his too.

Isabelle, seeing that Rafael had taken an interest in the tablet, said, 'You can keep it if you want. We have a couple of new ones in the storage room, we won't miss it.' Rafael looked up at Isabelle, his eyes as big as saucers. 'Really?' he gasped. Isabelle nodded with a smile. 'Oh my God. Thank you, thank you, thank you!' Rafael leaped forward and tackled Isabelle into a tight hug. The commotion was attracting a couple of onlookers, who probably didn't appreciate her giving away a tablet, so she suggested that they'd move on with the tour.

Isabelle lead them away from the main hall, and Max sighed at the sight of his older brother trailing her and jumping up and down like an enthusiastic puppy while firing a thousand question at her about the tablet.

.

.

.

As their tour though the familiar yet foreign New York Institute continued, Max was starting to feel a bit tired. He felt the lack of the prickling sensation inside his veins, he felt the lack of magic. Sometimes he felt a soft tingling in his fingertips, but it'd fade away and a wave of tiredness would wash over him. He knew that it was because he'd used up all his magic yesterday and that it'll take time for his magic to recover, that's what Rafael told him before breakfast. But even though he'd slept for eleven hours, he felt like he could just crawl into a bed and sleep for another eleven hours.

Max yawned and rubbed his sleepy eyes, he could hear Rafael's conversation with Isabelle distantly. He was about to ask them whether Isabelle could bring them to the room where they'd be staying, when someone bumped into him, knocking him onto the floor. He landed on his right wrist, the impact sent a painful shock up his arm. Max looked up at the person he bumped into, It was a man, a stranger, one of the shadowhunters that worked at the Institute. He looked irritated. Max stammered an apology, 'I-I'm sorry.'

The man shot him a dirty look. 'Look where you're going, _warlock_ ', he sneered, making Max wince. He stalked off before Max could say anything.

'Max!' Rafael rushed to his brother's side when he saw Max sitting on the ground, cradling his wrist. Rafael knelt down by his brother. 'Let me see', he said gently, holding his hand out to take Max' injured wrist. 'It's not that bad,' Raf said after having examined it. 'It'll be all right. It may hurt a little now, but it won't be for long.'

When Max didn't respond, he asked, 'Maxie? What's the matter?' Max hesitated to answer, but eventually he asked Rafael in a small voice, 'Is being a warlock really that bad, Raf?'

Rafael instantly jumped to his feet, his face full of fury. 'Who said that?' he boomed. 'Was it that asshole that bumped into you? Oh, when I get my hand on him…' He cracked his knuckles.

'What happened?' Isabelle placed her hand on Raf's shoulders, holding him back from running after the man.

'I'll tell you what happened,' Rafael snapped. 'Some shithead knocked Max on the ground-'

'It was my own fault, I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings,' Max muttered. Rafael didn't hear him.

'-And then he insulted Max for being a warlock!'

'That wasn't exactly what he said…'

'No, but that asshole probably did mean it that way,' Rafael growled. 'And Maxie, no one gets to tell you that you're worth less than everyone else because you're different. You're perfect the way you are.'

'Thanks,' Max murmured, not sounding convinced.

'I mean it.'

Isabelle held out a hand out to help Max up. Max took it. 'Don't worry, I'll find that loser later and make sure he's sorry for what he said,' Isabelle assured him. 'The shadowhunters here are so used to warlocks glamoring their marks that they've started to think that the marks are a tale.'

'Does every warlock glamor their marks?' Max asked.

'Not every warlock,' Isabelle explained, 'it's mostly only the ones that go out in public often.' When she saw the conflicted look on Max's face, she hastily added, 'But it not mandatory of course, you don't need to feel pressured to do it. I for one like your blue skin and your horns, you should wear your marks as proudly as a shadowhunter wears his runes.'

Max nodded, feeling his confidence return a bit. But there was still a small voice in his mind that told him that he needed to glamor himself to be accepted here.

'You look tired,' Isabelle said, taking his hand. 'Let's go to the room you'll be staying.'

'We can watch a movie in bed on my new tablet if you want,' Rafael suggested. 'I'm sure that they'd still have Netflix in this universe.' He looked up face Isabelle. 'You _do_ have Netflix, right?'

Izzy scoffed. 'Of course, we do. I'll even let you use my account.'

.

.

.

'We're almost there,' Isabelle announced. 'It's just around the corner.'

'I wonder if we'll get the same rooms as the ones back home,' Rafael whispered in Max' ears.

'No way that'll happen,' Max whispered back.

'I don't know what you're whispering about, but were here,' Isabelle announced.

' _No way'_ , Rafael gasped. 'That's my room.'

Isabelle chuckled, 'Well, lucky you. You guys can either share a room, or stay in separate ones.'

Max automatically walked towards the room across Rafael's, his room. 'As much as I enjoy your company, Raf. I can't sleep with your snoring.' He had his hand on the doorknob and was about to open the door when Isabelle exclaimed, 'Wait! That's the room where-' But it was too late, Max had already opened the door. Inside he saw Clary, standing near a floating body. '-we keep the Jocelyn.' Isabelle finished.

Clary looked up from her mother when she heard the door open. 'Oh! Hey guys,' she greeted, sounding a bit confused. 'What are you guys doing here?' But the boys rushed past her, only focusing on Jocelyn.

'By the Angel,' Rafael exclaimed, 'is this Jocelyn? What happened to her?'

'How do you know my mother?' Clary asked, her confusion was clearly shown on her face.

'That's a long story', Izzy said. 'I'll tell you later.'

Max looked up at Clary with glossy round eyes. 'Is she going to be all right?' he asked, his voice quivering a bit.

Clary looked Max in the eyes. 'Yes, she's going to be all right,' she reassured him.

'What happened?'

'She drank a potion that put her in a deep sleep. But we're going to find a way to wake her up, so don't worry. It'll be all right.'

'A potion!' Rafael gasped behind them. All eyes turned to him, he locked eyes with Max. 'Didn't Papa told us about this?' Max had no idea what his brother was talking about. He was about to ask what Raf meant when remembered: before the Mortal War, Jocelyn hid the Mortal Cup from her psycho ex-husband. And when she was attacked by said psycho, she drank a potion brewed by their father's friend, and fell into a deep sleep! How could he forget!

'The one brewed by papa's friend!' Max exclaimed. Rafael nodded enthusiastically. 'Yes!'

'What are you talking about?' Clary asked, her eyes shooting back and forth between the two boys. 'What potion? Who's your father, and what did his friend brew?' They ignored her questions.

'What's his name again,' Rafael asked to no one in particular. 'It was something like, like uhm, Rambo tripped? Something like that.'

'Ragnor Fell!' Max deadpanned.

'Yes, that the one! That makes a lot more sense than Rambo.'

'Wait, wait, wait, hold up a second,' Isabelle interrupted. 'What are you talking about, and how is this relevant to Jocelyn right now?'

Rafael took a breath to calm himself and explained, 'In our universe-'

'universe?'

'-Yes Clary, try to keep up will you? So in our universe the same thing happened years ago. Jocelyn took a potion brewed by Ragnor Fell and fell-' He snorted '- fell, ha you get it?' It only earned him a sigh and an eyeroll from his brother. Raf coughed. 'Anyway, she fell into a deep sleep, and they needed a book. Ehm, the book of, ehm,'

'The book of the White,' Max interjected.

'Yes! That one, thanks Maxie. You'll need the book of the white to make a potion to wake her up. And Ragnor has the book, so you'll need to go to him.'

'Is that true?' Clary asked the boys. 'Is it really true what you said?' The boys nodded. 'Then

I have to go to Magnus right now and tell him.' She was about to leave the room when Max rushed to stop her. 'You can't go now,' he said.

'What? Why not?'

'It's seven in the morning, and he gets really cranky if you wake him up before nine,' Max explained. 'He won't really show it, but he'll be really snappy when you ask him anything.'

'How do you know?' Clary asked, her face a mixture of confusion and doubt.

'Just trust me,' Max said.

'You'd better listen to Max', Rafael agreed. 'It'll be easier to get what you want from him if you do.'

'Okay,' Clary said, her voice still doubtful. 'Then I'll go later.'

Behind them, Isabelle cleared her throat. 'So now that's out of the way, let's go to one of your rooms and watch a movie or something. Want to join, Clary?'

'Sure, why not', she answered. 'I've got nothing to do now anyway.'

'Hmm, I don't know,' Rafael sighed, 'I'm not really in the mood to watch a movie right now.'

'Me neither', Max agreed. He's way too worked up now to sit still and watch a movie. His tiredness entirely forgotten.

'What do you want to do then?' Isabelle asked. Not knowing what a couple of kids would like to do.

'We can go into the city', Rafael suggested. 'Go to the park and feed the ducks. Maybe Jace would come if we ask nicely.'

Max snickered. 'Or we could go to the bookstore.'

'Which bookstore?' Clary asked.

'Luke's bookstore, obviously,' Max said.

'I don't own a bookstore,' a new voice said. Max turned around and saw a tall, broad and dark skinned man at the doorway. 'Who are you?' Max asked.

'I'm Luke', the man answered.

'Luke Garroway, Luke?' Rafael asked suspiciously.

'That's me alright,' Luke answered. Max turned to Clary and Isabelle, checking whether he was speaking the truth, they nodded.

'Okay, I don't know how to say this,' Max started awkwardly, 'Not to be racist or anything, but the Luke in our world has brown hair, blue eyes and is, ehm, well, white.'

Luke raised his eyebrows. 'Your universe you say?'

'Long story short,' Rafael explained, 'something went wrong with the portal, resulting in us ending up in your universe.'

'Hmm,' Luke nodded, 'okay…' He seemed a bit doubtful, but Max understood. It was quite a lot to take in.

'Anyways,' Clary chimed in, 'What are you doing here, Luke?' She walked over and gave him a hug. 'Not that I don't want you here, but I'm just curious.'

'Well, I just came over to check on you and Jocelyn before I head to the police station', he admitted. 'Came to see whether you've found a way to wake her up.'

Clary pulled him into another tight hug. 'We found it, Luke', Clary murmured against his shirt. 'We found a way to wake mom up.'


	5. Chapter V

'Okay boys, time for a little talk', Isabelle said, looming over the two brothers with her arms crossed while they sat on the bed in nervous anticipation.

After Clary told Luke about the book of the white and where they could find it, Luke immediately took out his phone and called in sick for work. He disregarded their advice to wait until it was a more reasonable time to contact Magnus and ran off to the main hall. Rafael stopped Clary before she could follow him. He wanted to apologize to her for throwing her across the room during the fight, he still felt guilty about that. At the time, she was just trying to help, but in the heat of the fight, Rafael didn't care about that. Clary gave him a soft smile, ruffled his hair and told him that she'd forgiven him already. She'd even said that she admire his protectiveness towards his brother. Rafael wanted to follow her when she rushed towards the main hall, but Isabelle gripped him by the back of his shirt and dragged him into his room.

'Can you just sit down?' Rafael asked with a hint of irritation in his voice. 'We'll talk, but not if it feels like another interrogation.' Max hummed in agreement.

Isabelle didn't say anything, her face unreadable. She took the desk chair and set it in front of the bed. She sat down and crossed her legs, acting like she owned the place. Rafael rolled his eyes. 'You said that you have some questions for us?' Before Isabelle could say anything, he added: 'But if the answer to your question might in any way endanger or jeopardize our temporary stay here, we won't answer.'

Isabelle nodded. 'Trust me, whatever your answers are, they'll stay between us. No one will know.'

Of course Rafael still had his doubts, but if this Isabelle was half as trustworthy as his aunt Izzy back home, then he had nothing to worry about.

'What are your names?' she asked. 'Your last names,' she added before Rafael could interrupt. 'And what are your relations to the other versions of us in your universe.'

It was typically Isabelle, she didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point. Max looked up at Rafael, the question clearly visible in his eyes: Should we tell her? Rafael had doubts of his own. Should they tell her? Can they really trust the woman in front of them?

Seeing their hesitation, Isabelle said: 'Do you remember what you said last night when you crashed into my room?' She didn't wait for Rafael's answer. 'You called me your aunt.' Raf winced, he'd said it before he knew that they'd landed in another universe. Did she tell anyone? Rafael thought. His mind was racing. She couldn't have told Maryse, if she did, Maryse would've let it show during the interrogation. But maybe the interrogation was a test, she-

Isabelle's voice interrupted his panicked thoughts. 'I didn't tell anyone what you said,' she assured them, 'And I'm not planning on telling anyone either.' Rafael let out a breath of relief. Next, to him, Rafael could feel Max relax a bit. He might be young, but he's smart. There's no doubt he knew the gravity of the situation, and what one slip up could lead to. It'll just make their stay more troublesome, especially with Alec still in the closet and Maryse detesting downworlders.

'I just want some answers', Isabelle continued. 'Which of my siblings is your parent? Jace? Max? Not Alec, right? I just can't imagine him adopting two children with mom breathing down his neck. Actually, I can't imagine any of them adopting with mom breathing down their necks. So, which one is it?'

Rafael looked at Max for a moment, his blue eyes filled with trust. Rafael sighed. 'Lightwood-Bane,' he murmured.

'What?' Isabelle asked, not having heard what he said.

'Lightwood-Bane,' Rafael said, speaking louder this time. 'Our Last name is Lightwood-Bane'

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 _The Institute bell rang. Jace stood up out the armchair and walked out of the library to get the door. The library door shut behind him with a click. It was quiet in the library, a depressing kind of quiet. Isabelle sat on the couch, her arm slung across the shoulders of her brother. Clary and Simon sat quietly at the window, going over everything that they'd found over the past fourteen hours again. Alec heard footsteps approach, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. The door opened and Jace stepped in with Maia and Lily. Both of them had their arm full with Chinese takeout._

 _'Wow, it feels so depressed in here,' Lily remarked. Earning her an elbow in the sides from Maia. 'We heard what happened', Maia said, her voice filled with pity. 'We figured that you probably haven't eaten yet, so we brought some food.' She held the two bags with the Jade Wolf logo up._

 _'Thanks, guys,' Alec said, 'I really appreciate it.'_

 _'Damn Alec,' Lily whistled, seeing him for the first time, 'you look like shit.'_

 _'Lily!' Maia gasped._

 _'Thanks,' Alec snorted, 'I feel like shit too.'_

 _'Don't worry about the business shit, we'll take care of it. Anyone with a problem has to answer to me', Lily grinned._

 _'And me of course,' Maia added. 'We have your back, Alec. The werewolves will be keeping an eye out for Raf and Max.'_

 _'And I'll make sure no idiot suck the brats empty at night.'_

 _'We'll be going now,' Maia announced, 'Make sure you take care of yourselves.' The vampire and werewolf said their goodbyes and left, Jace followed to walk them out of the institute. After they left, the shadowhunters filled their plates with Chinese food, though none of them were really in the mood to eat._

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'Wait a second,' Isabelle said, her voice filled with disbelief, 'You're telling me that Alec married Magnus. Magnus Bane, the flamboyant bisexual High Warlock of Brooklyn. You're telling me my apparently closet case, I don't wear anything but back and must do everything by the book brother married the most powerful warlock in the States, if not the world and is raising children with him.'

'They're not married,' Max corrected, 'not yet.'

'But the rest is pretty accurate,' Rafael nodded.

Isabelle sat back in her chair in shock. 'Is he happy?' She asked after a while. 'Is Alec happy when he's with Magnus?'

The boys nodded in answer. 'Dad smiles when he's with papa,' Max said softly remembering the times when Alec would come home from the institute. 'Even when he's stressed or upset or hurt, he always smiles whenever he sees papa.'

Rafael hummed in agreement. 'No other couple can be compared with the two of them. They've been through so much together. Even when they fight, you know they'll be back in each other's arms in no time.'

'Though it's kinda gross sometimes', he added, making Isabelle smile. It was such a typical response of a child to seeing their parents being intimate. She felt a sudden pang of jealousy and sadness spread through her, she never had that. Her parents' marriage was never something that was meant to last. In all of her twenty years living with them, she could count the times they'd shown any kind of intimacy on her fingers. And even then, they seemed fake and forced.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Max' whimpers. 'I miss them, I want to go home.' He snuggled into Rafael's arms for comfort.

'I miss them too, Blueberry', Rafael admitted. 'But we'll be back soon, right?' he asked Isabelle. And for the second time since they arrived, Isabelle saw the small and insecure boy behind the upbeat and sarcastic façade. He's just like Alec, she thought, with a mix of Magnus. There was no doubt that he was their child.

'I don't know how we'll get you back home,' Isabelle admitted, 'but I can promise you that I won't stop until I find a way to bring you home.' She climbed onto the bed behind the boys and pulled them into a tight hug. They sat in a comfortable silence until Isabelle broke it after a little while. 'While you here,' she said, a mischievous smile forming on her lips, 'why don't you guys help me with something.'

'What?' Max asked.

'Why don't you guys help me get the two of them together? I see the way Alec looks at Magnus compared to the way he looks at Lydia. He doesn't love her. I want to save him from making a terrible mistake, he'd do the same for me. I had my doubts about Magnus, but you two are the living proof that he's the one for my brother, the one that'll make him happy for the rest of his life.'

Are you asking us to help play matchmaker for our parents?' Rafael grinned

'Yeah, basically. So you want in?'

'Is that even a question?'

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 _A portal appeared in the library, a tall man with dark spiky hair wearing a glittery purple jacket and matching black skinny jeans stepped out. He was handsome, but if you came closer, you could see the bags under his eyes, the way that his makeup was smudged and look of grieve and defeat in his amber eyes._

 _'Magnus!' Alec shot up from the couch and moved towards his boyfriend. There was a light in his eyes that wasn't there a moment ago, filled with love and hope. Perhaps Magnus had better luck at the spiral labyrinth. 'Did you-' he started. But one look at his lover made clear that his trip to the labyrinth was unfruitful._

 _Magnus walked straight into Alec's arms and buried his face in the crook of his lover's neck. 'I tried everything, Alexander', he rasped. 'They're on the map, they're here, but they're not.' Magnus took a shaky breath. 'I've tried the spell we used last time, but they're not in the past nor future either. I've searched for everything that might help us locate the boys, but found nothing. I'm so sorry Alexander.' Alec gently rubbed circles on the back of Magnus' back._

 _'It's not your fault,' he whispered, 'parenting is a hard thing to do, especially with two adventurous kids like ours. It's not like they covered warlock children with the ability to portal in those parenting books we've read.' He sighed. 'I just wish that losing them through unsupervised portalling would be a one-time thing. Raising a warlock is hard, I pity those silent brothers that have raised you.'_

 _'Excuse me,' Magnus scoffed, 'I was a perfect angel growing up, thank you very much.'_

 _'Says the son of a prince of hell', Alec snorted. Even in times like this, he was glad that he was still able to make these little jokes with Magnus. It made him feel like there's hope, that there was still a shred of normalcy in his life._

 _'I've got it!' Simon exclaimed behind them. They all spun towards him. 'They're here, but they're not. It all makes sense!'_

 _'Well it doesn't for us, so please enlighten us simpletons, Simon,' Jace remarked._

 _'The boys are here, at the institute, but not here because they're not in our universe!'_

 _'Come again?' Jace stared at Simon as if he was a mad man._

 _'It's- it's like Hawking's multiverse theory,' Simon stumbled, trying to find a way to explain it to shadowhunters with no knowledge of mundane science. But luckily Magnus knew what he was talking about. His eyes grew wide as he stalked towards the table, pulling out a map from the inner pocket of his jacket and shoved away the empty containers of Chinese food to make room for the map._

 _'That would explain a lot,' Magnus murmured to himself, 'dimensional magic, that's Ragnor's field of specialty. Give me a break Max, first time travel, now this? You're one damned talented son of a me.'_

 _Suddenly he jumped up and gripped Simon by the shoulders. 'You're a genius!' Magnus told him._

 _'I think Hawking's the genius here,' Simon murmured with a soft blush. He didn't get compliments from Magnus a lot, so it did make Simon feel proud, just a bit._

 _Before Alc could wrap his head around what just happened and ask Magnus about it, Magnus had already rolled up the map and was stalking towards the portal. Alec managed to catch his arm before he stepped in. 'Where are you going,' he asked his boyfriend._

 _Magnus turned and took a step towards Alec, cupping Alec's face with both hands. 'I'm going back to the spiral library to find something, anything, about dimensional magic. There aren't a lot of warlocks with knowledge about dimensional magic, Ragnor was one of the few and the best I've known. We can't ask him for help and it'll be harder without his help, but with Tessa's and Catharina's help, I'll be able to do it. I'm going to find our sons and bring them back, Alexander, I promise.'_

 _Alec sighed, 'Just make sure to take care of yourself, I know that you have a habit of not caring about yourself when you're busy.'_

 _'I will, Alexander. Don't worry,' the playful glint in cat eyes returned. 'It'll be hard to disregard my health with Catharina breathing down my neck.' He kissed Alec softly before stepping through the portal without looking back._


	6. Chapter VI

Magnus wasn't happy when he was awoken by an incoming call. He might've been immortal and powerful, but dammit he still needed his beauty sleep. He grabbed his phone from where it lay on the nightstand and was about to swipe right to decline the call when he saw that the caller-id read Clary. Having a soft spot for the girl, Magnus accepted the call, 'Look Biscuit,' he sighed, his voice raspy from sleep, 'I know that you want a status update about whether or not I've found a way to wake up your mother, but couldn't you at least waited till nine or something? I need sleep just as much as you do.'

'Wow, they were right.' Magnus heard Clary whisper softly from the other side of the line.

'Who?'

'Not important. We've found a way to wake mom up!'

Now that's something he didn't expect to hear. Magnus was wide awake in an instant. 'What?' he asked in disbelief. 'How?' How could a bunch of teenagers find the cure before he, the high warlock of Brooklyn, did?

'It's a long story, could you just come to the Institute as fast as possible? I'll tell you the whole story when you're here.'

Magnus sighed again. 'I'll be there in ten', he promised. 'You'd better have coffee.'

'Great! See you soon,' Clary chirped before hanging up.

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Magnus sat at the table in the main hall of the New York Institute, sipping his coffee. He'd been here way too often in the last month for his liking.

He listened to Clary's story of how the boys he treated yesterday, who apparently portalled to their universe by accident, told her about Ragnor Fell, the warlock who made the potion for Jocelyn with a recipe in the book of the white. It took him a moment to process it all.

'It's typical Ragnor to have such an important book in his possession and not tell anyone about it', Magnus said when Clary finished her story. 'Where are the boys? I myself am quite curious how they got their hands this piece of information.'

'Hmm, they were Isabelle the last time I saw them,' Clary answered. 'I don't know where they are now.'

'But the question is,' Luke stated. 'Do you know where to find the warlock Ragnor Fell?'

'Of course I know where to find him,' Magnus took another sip from his coffee, 'He's probably holed up in his cottage rereading the same old books over and over again.'

'I thought he taught at the Academy,' a young voice chimed in. Blue curls popped up next in the seat to Magnus' left, brown curls on his right. Isabelle took the seat beside Clary on the other side of the table.

'Good to see you, boys,' Magnus greeted. 'I hope that you're well rested.' The boys nodded.

Magnus turned towards Max. 'How are your wounds, little blueberry?'

'All healed', the Max beamed. 'Thanks to you, p- Magnus.'

'And your magic?'

'I'm still a bit drained, but I can feel it coming back slowly. Very slowly' Magus smiled at Max' complaining pout and turned to his other side.

'How's your head, little Nephilim?'

'The name's Rafael. And my little brother's name is Max', Rafael stated, before answering: 'My headache is gone, thank you.' Magnus gave him a smile. 'Thank you for the introduction, Rafael.'

'And to answer your question, Max-' He turned again to face the blue warlock – 'Ragnor used to teach at the academy, yes. But the Academy closed after the uprising. I'm afraid Ragnor's life has become quite boring after losing his beloved job.'

'But the academy is open again,' Rafael said. 'So why isn't he teaching again?'

'What are you talking about?' Isabelle asked with a puzzled look on her face. 'The academy is still closed.'

'Wait,' Clary interrupted, 'What is the academy?'

'The Shadowhunter Academy is a school in Idris for shadowhunters in training', Luke explained. 'It's where your mother and I went when we were your age. You would a student there right now, had it not been closed years ago.'

'But why?' Clary asked, still not understanding all the information.

'Because of something the circle did', a familiar voice behind Magnus said. He turned around and his eyes met the warm hazel ones that have been haunting his dream. Magnus could feel his heartbeat speed up. After an awkward pause, the two of them nodded in acknowledgment. Goddammit Magnus, Magnus thought to himself, you're over a three hundred years old. Stop blushing like a schoolgirl whenever you see him.

'We are not to speak of the circle,' Alec stated after he recollected himself. 'That's final.'

'What are you doing here, big brother', Isabelle asked. 'I thought you went back to sleep.'

'I've slept enough.' Was his answer. 'I just came to tell you that Max will be returning early for the wedding. He'll be arriving later tonight or tomorrow morning.'

The wedding. The words felt like a heavy weight on his chest. Alexander, the shadowhunter he developed a crush on- no, it felt like different than a simple crush. Magnus couldn't quite place his finger on what it was, but he did know that what he felt was deeper than any crush or fling he had. And just hearing those words made his stomach turn and his heart sink.

Magnus was brought out of his wallowing in self-pity by an excited high pitch squeal from Isabelle.

'Really?' She asked. She wore the brightest smile Magnus had ever seen on her face. 'By the angel, it's been too long since I've seen my little brother.'

The loving smile on Alec's face was one that Magnus hasn't seen very often. It was one that he reserved for his family only, and Magnus couldn't help but imagine what it would feel like if he was the one receiving that smile. His heart clenched at the longing of what couldn't be.

'Speaking of coming home,' Rafael remarked. 'Any ideas on how we're supposed to go home?'

That was a good question. Not even Magnus knew how to get the boys back to where they came from. Dimensional magic was never one of his strong suits.

'What about the portal in the Seelie realm?' Clary suggested. 'The one that sent Jace and me to another dimension.'

'Nope.' Rafael rejected the idea immediately. 'Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against fairies, I really like Helen, Mark, and Kieran. But I'm not using a fairy portal to get back. There has to be another way.'

'I'm with Rafael on this one, Biscuit,' Magnus said. 'Even though I have no idea who the people he just named are, I do know that bargains with fairies are always more trouble than they're worth. Besides, the portal that they have leads to one specific alternate universe. And from what you've told me, I can conclude that it's not the right one.'

'Is there another way to send them home?' Isabelle asked.

Magnus thought about the question for a moment.

'Of course!' He exclaimed suddenly, making everyone jump. 'Ragnor! He excels in dimensional magic. He's one of the few that even knows it.'

'So Ragnor is basically the answer to all of our problems?' Rafael asked.

'If you put it that way.'

'Why didn't they make him the high warlock of Brooklyn?'

'Excuse me?' Magnus gasped. He could hear the others grin at Rafael's remark.

'Just kidding,' Rafael smirked, 'you're doing a great job.'

'Of course,' Magnus huffed, 'I wouldn't be high warlock otherwise.'

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The group made plans and prepared to leave. Alec and Luke would be staying behind. Alec because he had wedding preparations, and Luke because there would be too many people otherwise.

Isabelle wasn't meant to go at first, but since she was in charge of keeping an eye on the boys and they insisted on going, she became part of the trip as well.

They didn't need much, only a few standard weapons. Isabelle got the boys their steles, a couple of daggers and even fitting gears. But not their seraph blades, claiming that they were already going against the rules and that Maryse would have her hide if she did. They believed her. Though it wasn't their usual gear and weapons, they weren't complaining and were glad that they were at least able to do something.

When it was time to leave, Magnus opened a portal with a snap of his fingers. The way of creating the portal was so different from what Max was used to, that he couldn't help ask Magnus whether he had a portal prepared or something. When Magnus told him that it's the way all the portals were made. Max started to explain the steps of setting up a portal to Magnus. When he finished, Magnus made a comment about how it wasn't a surprise that they ended up here with the complicated procedure of setting up portals.

While the two warlocks were comparing notes, Jace arrived just in time to see them off. Rafael stood by Isabelle's side, watching the encounter between Jace and Clary. Rafael felt awkward just looking at them. The pair in front of him wasn't the lovebirds he'd known. All he saw were two adults awkwardly pining for each other while neither of them dared to take the initial step. The worst thing was when they said their goodbyes: Clary went in for a hug while Jace went for a fist bump (who even does that?). The two switched when they saw what the other went for, what led to another awkward moment. Eventually, the two of them settled for something in between. Rafael signed at the display, those two were hopeless.

Clary was the first to step through the portal. Rafael couldn't blame her, he would want to leave as soon as possible too if he had such an awkward encounter with his crush. Then it was Isabelle and Rafael's turn. When Isabelle noticed that Rafael was a bit hesitant, she grabbed his hand and gave him a comforting smile. Together, they stepped through the portal.

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Max noted that Rafael's hesitation before stepping through. To be honest, he was nervous too. It would be the first time that he'd use a portal after the incident. Max followed his Isabelle's example and took Magnus' hand. The warlock seemed surprised but didn't let go of the small blue hand.

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'Are we at the right place?' Max asked when they arrived in an open field.

'Of course we are, little blueberry,' Magnus answered, 'have a little faith in my magic.'

'But there's nothing here,' Rafael commented.

'That's because his house's glamoured. We'll have to walk a little bit.'

Max held onto Magnus' hand as the group walked across the empty field.

'So,' Rafael said, breaking the silence. 'Clary, why did you act so awkward around Jace?'

'I don't really want to talk about it,' she answered, obviously hoping that would end the conversation. But as usual, Rafael was totally oblivious to it and continued.

'If you're nervous that he'll turn you down, don't be. It's obvious he likes you too,' Rafael assured her. 'And beneath his sarcastic and narcissistic demeanor, lies a, well still sarcastic and narcissistic man.' 'But he's very sweet and loyal too of course', he added quickly. 'At least, the Jace I know is. Perhaps this one is an asshole, but what do I know.'

Everyone was snickering at Rafael's description of Jace, all except for Clary, whose face was as red as her hair. 'I-I don't have a crush on him', she sputtered. 'I can't'

'Why not,' Rafael asked. 'He's a great guy. I don't see why you can't at least ask him out on a date.'

'Because he's my brother okay!' she exclaimed. 'Jace is my brother. That's why I can't date or have feelings for him.'

Max and Rafael burst out laughing upon hearing that and couldn't seem to stop.

'What's so funny?!' Clary snapped.

'Speaking of incest,' Magnus chimed in, 'brothers and sisters are often attracted to each other. I once knew this couple in ancient Egypt-'

'Wait, hold the crap,' Rafael interrupted, becoming serious all of a sudden. 'First of all,-' he pointed a finger at Magnus- 'You're only like three hundred years old, not three thousand. You can't just add a zero, that's not how it works.'

'How did you-'

'Second of all-' Rafael ignored Magnus and pointed at Clary- 'Jace's not your brother.'

'Wait, what? How do you know?' Clary's face was full of shock. 'But his name is Jonathan Christopher, JC, the initials-'

'They are the same, yes. But that doesn't mean that they're the same person. It's a very popular shadowhunter name, you know. I can name three other shadowhunters with the exact same name off the top of my head.'

'And he has the star-shaped birthmark,' Max added. 'The ones only Herondales have.'

'That's right!' Isabelle confirmed. 'Jace has this weird star shaped birthmark mark on his shoulder blades.'

Max could see the cogs turning in Clary's head. He knew that it was quite a lot to process, first finding out that your boyfriend was your brother and breaking up, and then being told by two kids that you've known for less than twenty-four hours that he wasn't your brother after all and that a relationship with him wouldn't be incest.

'So Jace really isn't my brother?' Clary asked after a while. 'But Valentine said-'

'You should never listen to psychopaths,' Rafael interrupted. 'That's like, the first thing they teach you about psychos.'

Suddenly Max felt a strong magical pulse. 'Look out!' He screamed in unison with Magnus, who must've felt it too. In an instant, they were surrounded by a wall of green fire. 'What is that?' Clary gasped.

'Ragnor must've put up a protective ward around his house.' Magnus explained. 'Only the pure of heart and intentions can pass through the fire unharmed.'

'Yeah, I going to die', Rafael murmured.

Max tightened his grip on Magnus' hand. 'Ready?' Magnus asked. Nobody answered.

Max took a deep breath and shut his eyes when he stepped into the fire. Surprisingly, the fire didn't burn. It felt warm and tingly, like his magic.

The first thing Max felt when he excited the fire, was the absence of Magnus' hand in his. He spun around wildly, searching for the rest. But all he saw was Clary standing next to him, equally confused. 'Where are Rafael, Izzy, and p- Magnus?' Max asked in a panicked voice. What happened to them? Are they hurt? Questions filled his mind, he was starting to panic. He felt a warm hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Clary giving him a comforting smile. 'I'm sure that they're all right', she reassured him. 'From what I've gathered, Ragnor isn't the kind of person that burns his friends, or visitors for that matter.' Max nodded softly, still not entirely at ease. 'Look-' Clary pointed at a house that was just visible between the trees- 'That must be Ragnor's house. We'll find out where the rest is there.'

She held out a hand for Max to take. He did. Together they walked towards the mysterious cottage in the distance.

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When they arrived at the house, Max suddenly remembered an important piece of information: Ragnor was dead when Clary and his father arrived at the cottage the first time. But he also remembered that it was Sebastian who killed him, and he hasn't heard a single thing about Clary's demon brother since they arrived. The wards were working too, he thought, so Ragnor must still be alive. Either way, Max prepared himself for the worst. Especially when he saw that the door to the cottage was open. The shadowhunter and warlock exchanged a nervous look. Clary gave Max a little comforting squeeze before letting go and stepping through the doorway, her seraph blade activated in her hand. Max pulled out his own daggers before stepping through.

'Hello? Anybody home?' Clary called. 'Ragnor? We need your help.'

No response came. 'Stay behind me,' she whispered to Max before continuing to search the house. 'Ragnor, we know that you're here.'

But Max had his doubts. What if Ragnor was dead? Does that mean that they won't be able to go back home? He was hesitant to follow Clary into the living room, in fear of finding the warlock's corpse. But when he passed the obnoxious self-portrait of Ragnor, he could feel the magic oozing from it. He grabbed Clary by the ends of her shirt and mentioned towards the portrait. She looked at it for a moment before grinning widely. 'Nice try, Ragnor.' She stuck her hands into the painting and pulled the warlock out. Ragnor fell on the ground and rolled over. He quickly stood up and dusted off.

'Good job, Clary Fairchild', he said. 'And you, little warlock. You felt my presence almost immediately! I must've slacked off, should work on that.'

Max was confused by the man standing in front of him. Was he really Ragnor Fell? Even though he had the horns on his head, he wasn't green like his father and Aunt Catharina described. He was also older than Max pictured and acted differently than he imagined. His father has always told him that his friend was the rational one, the grumpy one, the one that loved to write Raphael letters filled with jokes about Magnus. The man in front of him, however, seemed like the crazy old uncle that would get drunk at dinner parties and tell inappropriate stories.

But Ragnor's skin still bothered Max the most. 'Why aren't you green,' Max blurted. He couldn't stand it anymore, he needed some answers.

'Oh, I glamored it when I started to teach at the academy. I've gotten quite used to it now, so why change it?' Ragnor answered it as if it didn't matter at all, and perhaps it didn't. But to Max, who grew up hearing stories about the warlock who wore his different skin tone proudly, the warlock who has been an example for Max along with His aunt Catharina, it was quite a shock. He knew what the shadow hunters back at the institute thought of him. He had felt their stares, the ones filled with disgust. Maybe he needed to change to fit in too. At home, nobody had a problem with his physique. But he wasn't at home now and he needed to adjust to optimize survival chances. That was what they taught you, right? Even though he knew his dad and papa would be disappointed, he murmured a glamoring spell. It didn't glamor all his marks, but it did change his skin tone slightly. Making him look a bit more human than warlock. The spell was easy and wouldn't drain his magic fast, so even though he was low on magic, he could still hold the glamor up.

'So what brings you to my cottage,' Ragnor asked. 'Wait, I know. Is it because your mother drank the potion?' He saw the answer written on their faces. 'Ah yes, and now you're coming for an antidote?' They nodded.

'Dammit! Why am I stuck?!' Max turned towards his brother's voice. He saw Rafael, Magnus and Isabelle the chairs by the fireplace, struggling against invisible bonds. 'Rafa!' Max exclaimed as he rushed to his brother's side. 'Maxie! Thank the Angel you're all right. Now help me out of these magic bounds.'

'Max? What are you doing?' Clary asked in confusion. 'Where's Rafael?'

'They're right here!' Max answered. 'Can't you see them?'

'We're glamored by Ragnor's magic', Magnus explained hastily. 'Now listen, he'll try to strike a bargain-' Magnus was cut off by Ragnor with a snap of his fingers.

'Can't have him ruin all the fun now, can't we.' Was Ragnor's only explanation.

'What's going on?' Clary demanded, still not understanding the situation.

'He glamored them,' Max explained. 'Rafael, Izzy, and Magnus. They're here. And now Ragnor has muted the too. But Magnus said something about a bargain.'

'What bargain?' Clary asked.

'The bargain we're about to strike.' Ragnor said with a sly smile. 'Now, what are you willing to give me in exchange for helping you wake your mother?'

'Wait,' Max interrupted. 'We also need your help on something else.' He proceeded to summarize Rafael and his situation to the warlock in front of him.

'Well that's interesting,' the warlock remarked when Max finished. 'And you said that you made the portal yourself?' Max nodded.

'Very interesting', Ragnor mused.

'Okay,' Ragnor said after a little thinking, 'I'll help the both of you.'

Max heard Clary let you a breath of relief.

'But,' Ragnor continued. Max sighed, there was always a 'but'. 'In exchange for my help, I want you-' he pointed at Max- 'to try to recreate the portal. It doesn't have to lead to your own universe, but it'll be an interesting study in the field of dimensional magic.'

'I don't even remember how I made the portal!' Max exclaimed. 'I can't do it!'

'Nonsense,' Ragnor dismissed. 'You've been able to create one yesterday and saw through two of my glamours. You're talented, kid. You'll figure something out.'

Max thought about the pros and cons. 'Hmm...Okay,' Max agreed. 'It's a deal.'

Ragnor grinned. And with a snap of his fingers, he un-muted and released Raf, Izzy, and Magnus. 'Unfortunately longer have the book of the white in my possession', Ragnor said. 'But I might have a something that we can use to locate it. Wait here.'

He turned around to leave, and Max followed him. If the warlock minded, he didn't show it.

'It's gotta be here somewhere', Ragnor muttered when they arrived at the second floor. Suddenly a Shax demon appeared out of nowhere and attacked Ragnor. The warlock called out in surprise. Max, who has been trained as a shadowhunter, reacted quickly and attacked the demon with his dagger. Though it wasn't as effective as a seraph blade, it still did damage to the demon. In the split second that the demon was effected by Max' attack, Ragnor managed to fire a spell at the creature, killing it instantly. But the demon did wound the warlock and he fell down.

'Ragnor!'

Max could hear the rest rushing up the stairs, but he paid them no heed. He crushed down at Ragnor's side and started to chant healing spells, drained magic be damned. Magnus was by his side in an instant, taking over the healing. Max sat back, feeling a bit dizzy.

'Creature took me by surprise,' Ragnor groaned. 'But the kid saved me.'

'Shh, my little cabbage,' Magus shushed, 'Save your strength. The wounds aren't that deep, but you can still bleed to death.'

'God, Magnus,' Ragnor groaned, but this time it was more in irritation than in agony, 'I told you to never call me that again. I'm not even green anymore.'

'You'll always be green to me, Ragnor', Magnus grinned. 'Now hold still, I'm almost done.'

Magnus finished the healing spell and whispered another one to put Ragnor to sleep.

He then snapped his fingers to open a portal behind them. 'Go back to the institute,' he said. 'I'll handle Ragnor and find the object he was searching for.'

'But I want to help!' Max complained. 'I want to stay.'

'You have done enough, little blueberry', Magnus said gently. 'It's thanks to you that he's alive. You can help me when I get back, okay?'

Max was a bit reluctant at first, but agreed eventually. Rafael took his hand and led him to the portal. Before they stepped through, Rafael scanned Max for injuries. 'Are you okay?' He asked. 'You look a bit pale.' Remembering the glamor, Max made up an excuse. 'Eeh, yeah. 'm just a bit tired, that's all.' Rafael seemed to have bought it. 'Let's head back then. You need the rest.' Max didn't know why he lied to his brother. Perhaps it's because he didn't want Rafael to be disappointed in him. But perhaps it's because he didn't want Rafael to beat up everyone that have looked at him the wrong way. Either way, he lied. And the weight of the lie started to settle onto his chest.


	7. Chapter VII

Max had looked too pale for Rafael's liking, so he'd dragged him off to bed the instant they arrived at the institute, leaving Isabelle and Clary behind to inform the others of the events that happened in Ragnor's cottage.

Max fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow and was snoring softly while Rafael played games on his tablet on the other side of the bed. Rafael was also downloading some files from the Institute database onto his tablet. Files that could help them on finding a way back home, and files on the clave, shadowhunters, and downworlders. It was all for research proposes. It would be interesting to study the differences between the dimensions. Plus it would be proof that he could show to Tav when they got back. If they got back. Raf pushed back the negative thought. They would be home in no time, even with Ragnor injured, and them back at square one, they would overcome the difficulties and find a solution, like they always did.

Rafael remembered his father's advice: No matter how bad the shit-show- 'Magnus! Language!' –Yeah, sorry. No matter how bad the situation is, there's always a solution. Even if it seems impossible. You just need to keep your head cool and think.

All he needed to do was to come up with a plan that would make sure that they'd get home safely. Or at least just Max. Rafael would stay behind without a second thought if it'd mean that Max was home and safe with their parents.

Of course, Raf wasn't planning on coming up with a plan that'd result in only one of them getting back, but he'd make sure that he would be the one staying behind if necessary.

.

.

.

After a while, Rafael got bored and decided to do some training. Because even being in an alternate universe was no excuse to slack off from training for a proud shadowhunter like himself. So he placed his tablet on the nightstand, plugged in the charger and tiptoed to the door, careful not to disturb his baby brother's beauty sleep. Hand on the doorknob, he glanced at the sleeping figure on the bed one more time before quietly stepping out of the room.

Rafael took his time walking to the training room. Though it wasn't exactly a training room in his opinion. It was more like a stage in the corner of the main hall, nothing the attic of the institute back home. Raf could feel the eyes of other shadowhunters staring at him as he passed by, but as long ss they didn't stop or bother him, he didn't feel the need to care. Rafael heard the familiar sound of clashing swords as he came closer to the training room. He climbed up the stairs and could see Clary sparring with Jace. There didn't seem to be any awkward tension between the two of them, so Rafael figured that Clary must've told Jace the truth. He was surprised that the two weren't making out in a closet or something already since that awkwardness wasn't the only kind of tension that radiated off them earlier. But he should just keep minding his own business, so he just stood at the side and watched the two spar until they finished.

'I see that it's better between you two now you know the truth and talked things through,' Rafael said while he walked up to them and handed their water bottles and towels. Jace gave him an odd look and asked: 'What truth?' Rafael could see Clary tense up from the corner of his eye. 'That the two of you aren't related,' Raf said slowly, not understanding the situation. 'I thought Clary told you already.' Jace's jaw dropped in surprise, his eyes shooting back and forth between Raf and Clary. 'I- uh- Clary-' Jace stammered, not being able to speak after having such a bomb dropped on him.

'I meant to tell you right away!' Clary said hastily. Hearing Clary speak made Jace recollect himself. His facial expression changed from surprise to anger.

'And why didn't you?' Jace snarled. 'Oh let me guess, is it because you find my suffering extremely funny Clary?'

'No! Of course-'

'THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?' Jace bellowed, his face reddened by anger. It was quiet, even the other shadowhunters stopped doing whatever they did to get a glance of what's happening. The fire in Jace's eyes ebbed away, it filled with hurt and betrayal instead. 'Am I not good enough for you Clary?' Jace croaked, his voice breaking. 'Do you know how much I've been wishing for what I've just been told? Do you know how hard I've been trying to get you out of my mind, and failed? Jace took a shaky breath. 'I thought that I'd be happy, over the moon when you'd tell me that we're not related. But apparently, I was stupid enough for thinking that there could be something between us, sibling or not.' He turned around to leave, but Rafael grabbed his arm. 'What- Let me go!' Jace tried to shake Rafael off.

'By the Angel, get over yourself you overdramatic Herondale!' Rafael exclaimed. Jace froze.

'What did you just call me?' he breathed.

'A Herondale,' Rafael repeated. 'Not Morgenstern, not Wayland, not Lightwood, but Herondale. Dramatic, narcissistic, duck-fearing Herondale.'

Jace's face reddened, 'I do not-'

'Yes, you do. Ducks, small, innocent, and sooo scary.' Rafael mocked. 'But that's not what I wanted to say. You need to get over yourself. The girl of your dreams, your so called sister,-' he air quoted 'sister' '-turns out not to be your sister, and you were just going to walk away and break both your hearts? I knew that you're not the brightest, but this? Really? So what if she made a tiny mistake? She was probably just thinking of a way to break it to you. Raziel! If I was you, I'd skip the talking and kiss her. ASAP.'

Jace stood frozen still, mostly because he was just told off by a twelve-year-old, but finding out that you're a Herondale was probably quite a big deal too.

'What are you waiting for?' someone shouted. Rafael pushed Jace towards Clary. Within seconds, the two were kissing. Cheers erupted from the main hall, and people were clapping. Rafael sighed. These shadowhunters must be really hungry for some drama. This isn't some cheesy soap series! Though it kinda did seem like it.

After a while, Rafael averted his eyes, because things were heading towards R-rated pretty fast between those two.

'Oh, get a room, you two! There are children present!' Alec called while he approached the training room. The pair broke apart hastily but made sure that they were holding hands and within touching distance. 'And I'm here too', Alec added. 'I don't need to see you f-' He seemed to remember that Rafael was present as well. '-see you two do anything inappropriate.' The couple gave him embarrassed smiles.

'That was quite the commotion,' a new voices said. Rafael turned to see a blond man in his thirties. 'I hope everything's all right now.'

'Yes, of course,' Jace said to the man. Then turned his head to give Clary a smile that Rafael could only describe as a grin of a love-sick fool, one that Clary returned. 'Everything is more than all right.'

Having gotten an answer, the man turned his attention to Rafael. 'You must be Rafael', the man said. 'I've heard quite a lot about you and your brother.'

'Just like everyone else in this institute apparently', Rafael muttered to himself.

The man either didn't hear Rafael's comment, or he simply just ignored it. He held out a hand. 'I'm Hodge Starkweather,' he introduced. 'The weapon trainer of this institute.'

The title seemed fake to Rafael. He had never heard of a weapon trainer before. But that wasn't the thing that was bothering him. Well, not the worst thing at least.

'You're Hodge Starkweather?' Rafael asked cautiously, with one eyebrow raised. The man nodded in confirmation. 'Hodge the traitor?' Raf continued. The blond gaped at him 'The one who gave Valentine the Mortal Cup. The Hodge that helped Valentine cut Jace out of his dead mother's stomach.' Jace spewed out the water he was drinking and choked a bit. The Man in front of Rafael was white as a sheet. So shocked by Rafael's accusations that he was incapable of speech. Though he wasn't the only one, the other shadowhunters seemed shocked by the information too.

Alec was the first to recover. Slowly, he took the seraph blade out of Clary's hand, turned his blade to his tutor –or weapons trainer in this case. It was still pretty confusing. -and asked: 'Is it true, what Rafael said?' his voice was pained. But Hodge's appearance said more than enough. It was the look of a guilty man backed into a corner. Shadowhunters were gathering around, ready to take action if needed.

Clary was the first to break the silence. 'But the Mortal Cup is still here!' She defended.

'Think about it, Clary,' Alec said, his eyes still on the man in front of him. 'Everything Rafael and Max have said were true, so why would Rafael lie about this now?' Clary seemed to consider this.

Alec took a step closer to Hodge, the tip of his blade now pressed against the man's chest, right above his heart.

'You don't have to do this, Alec,' Hodge pleaded.

'Trust me,' Alec answered, 'I want this just as much as you do.' Though his voice seemed indifferent, Rafael could see the pain in his eyes. 'Now, you can either answer my questions now or later, under the Mortal Sword.'

Hodge sighed in defeat, then nodded.

'Were you planning on stealing the sword?' Alec asked. The tension in the room rose as they waited for Hodge's answer. The man turned his head away and nodded again. Gasps ran out through the crowd. A couple of shadowhunters took steps forward, ready to take Hodge away for further interrogation.

'Wait!' Alec commanded. The shadowhunters stopped dead in their tracks. 'I have another question.' The pain on Alec's face was now clear for anyone to see.

'Look at me,' he demanded. Hodge reluctantly lifted his head, but didn't look him in the eyes.

'Why?' One simple question, but filled with so much emotion that it felt like so much more.

Hodge finally looked Alec in the eyes. 'Because, Alexander,' the man said solemnly, 'a man like me was bound to break sooner or later.' Alec seemed confused, but Hodge continued before Alec could comment. 'I have been living here at this institute since the beginning of my punishment. Living like any other shadowhunter. But every day I'm reminded of what I cannot be: free. I'm reminded of my exile, my confinement whenever I look out the windows, whenever the rest of you go out for a hunt, a case, a dinner-' Hodge took a shaky breath. The anger that had built up during his speech faded. 'Do you know how much I've longed to feel the ocean breeze again? How much I've longed to run wild and feel the adrenaline rush through my veins as I fight those damned demons? How much I've longed to see the Alicante again? And this-' He pointed at a red, round mark on his neck. '-is a constant reminder of my past mistakes. A reminder of all the wrong choices I have made as a reckless youth. And when I saw the chance to be free again, I needed to grab it. I wanted my freedom so badly that I didn't care about the consequences, didn't care that I had to give a powerful weapon to the enemy in order to obtain my freedom. Hell, I don't even care now! I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I could almost feel the winds in my face again!-' he fell to his knees. '-But just like a fata morgana, it disappeared when it was within my reach. Perhaps it's for the better. Now it won't add on to the list of my sins.'

Alec lowered his blade. 'Take him away,' he breathed. Two shadowhunters walked to Hodge and lifted him up so he could walk on his own. They were halfway across the room when Jace, who appeared to be in a state of shock earlier, called out: 'Wait!'

The shadowhunters halted. Jace took a couple of steps towards the trio. 'I-is it true?' He asked. 'Did you- was I-'

'Yes.' came the answer. Hodge didn't even turn his head to look at Jace. 'Valentine and I saved you when your mother, Céline Herondale, committed suicide after the death of her husband, Stephen Herondale.'

Jace was clearly taken aback. He covered his face with a hand, his breathing uneven. 'Why?' He breathed after a moment of silence.

'Because you were special. Because the blood of the angel runs through your veins.' With that, Hodge left with the shadowhunters to wherever they will be keeping him until further interrogation. It might not have made any sense to the rest, the blood of the angel ran through all shadowhunters. But Rafael knew what he meant.

Jace waited a moment before he decided to storm off, no doubt to a place where he could process the information he had just been given. Clary followed him.

It was quiet in the main hall and training room. But one by one, the shadowhunters started to resume to their tasks, until only Alec and Rafael were left standing in the training room.'

'I think I need to sit down', Alec grunted.


	8. Chapter VIII

Alec was tired of sitting around and not being able to do anything about the situation. But all he could do was wait for Magnus to come back with the solution like he always did. It was frustrating Alec to no end. He was a man that needed control over the situation and leaving it all to Magnus while not knowing anything was driving him crazy. So he decided to get some work done. Both to keep him sane and to make sure his sons wouldn't be returning to a mess.

With a sigh, Alec sat down at behind his desk and stared at the ginormous pile of paperwork on his desk. Unfortunately, the world's troubles continued with or without him to sort things out.

'You know you don't have to do this, right?' Came Isabelle's comment from the couch in his office. She had settled nicely on it, surrounded by the pillows she'd stolen from all over the institute.

Apparently, his siblings found that he couldn't be left alone in this state and decided to take turns babysitting him.

'Izzy I-' he was cut off by his phone. After a couple of seconds of searching, Alec pulled his phone out from under some files on his desk.

He didn't bother to check the Caller ID. 'Hello, Alec speaking,' he greeted.

'Alec!' The voice on the other side of the line greeted enthusiastically.

'Mom?' He suddenly remembered that in the midst of their panic and search for the boys, everyone forgot about informing Maryse –or anyone else- of their situation. The only reason the downworlders of New York knew about the situation was because of their frantic search for the boys in the city. Rumors spread fast under the downworld community, especially when it concerned shadowhunters.

Alec cleared his throat. 'How's your trip to the Vatican? Did meeting go well?' He asked, trying to keep his voice light. Even though he wanted to tell his mother about the disappearance of Raf and Max, Alec couldn't risk the Clave getting involved. That would cause them even more trouble and hinder their search for his sons.

Alec could see Isabelle gesturing him to put the phone on speaker, but he waved her off.

'Vatican City is lovely, if not a bit crowded', came the response. 'And the meeting went as expected, smooth and easy.' Her tone suddenly changed, becoming much more serious. 'Alexander, I can tell that you're trying to hide something. What is it?' Alec felt the lump in his throat.

'How did y-'

'I'm your mother, Alexander. And even though I admit that I wasn't the best, I can still tell when you're upset and try to hide it. Now tell me what happened.' It was true, what she said about not being the best mother in the past. But she has changed. Ever since the day Max was adopted, she became a better mother and an even better grandmother. And both Alec and Magnus couldn't be more grateful for it.

'I- um-' He took a breath, but it didn't keep his voice from breaking or his eyes from watering when he said, 'Raf and Max have gone missing.'

Alec heard his mother take in a sharp breath. The line fell silent. Isabelle, who had stood up from her comfortable place on the couch, walked towards him and led him to the couch. Maryse response came when he was seated with his sister's arm around his waist.

'What happened?'

'We don't know,' Alec admitted. 'The boys didn't arrive at the Institute, and we couldn't contact them so we went searching. Simon was the one who found the scene-' Alec took a breath and swallowed '-he found Raf's broken phone, he had to kill a Kuri to get to it, and- and blood. A lot of blood. Magnus identified it as Max'.'

'No,' Maryse breathed, full of horror and disbelief. Alec nodded even though she couldn't see him.

'Magnus also found some remains of the presence of Max's magic. Apparently, something went wrong when they tried to portal away and now they're stuck in some alternate universe. Magnus is at the Spiral Labyrinth right now with Tessa and Catarina, trying to find a spell to locate the boys and open a portal. But time could- no, is -critical right now. They're all alone and Max could be-' His next words were the ones he had been trying to suppress. The thoughts that have been haunting him ever since he saw the bloodstain in the Alley. '-he- he could be dead', Alec choked out. The line fell silent once again and all he could feel was his broken heart, Izzy's tightening grip on his waist and the tears that rolled off his cheek.

'I'm coming home,' Maryse stated, breaking the silence.

'But-'

'No buts, Alexander,' Maryse said sternly. 'If you think for one second that I prioritize Anything above my grandsons –or any family member for that matter- then you're terribly wrong, young man. I'll be home tomorrow.'

She hung up before Alec could respond.

Slowly, Alec lowered his phone from his ear. The two siblings stayed on the couch in silence. Comforted by each other's presence.

.

.

.

Max woke up from the best nap he'd ever had. He no longer felt like fainting and he could feel that a part his magic has returned. If his magic charged like a phone, he'd say that he was around 55 percent full.

Max stretched and looked around the room. Raf isn't here, he thought. Probably off training. Max knew his brother well enough by now. He was a workout freak, just like their uncle Jace, or any other shadowhunter for that matter. Well, except for their uncle Si, aunt Clary, Kit and Ty. Probably because they weren't raised like shadowhunters from a young age. Well, not Ty, but he's sensible enough to see that physical training wasn't everything, and Max joined him on that. He might've had the same training and upbringing as Raf, but he wasn't planning on taking over every aspect of the shadowhunter life.

Max stopped in front of the mirror on his way to the door. He just needed to make sure that his bed hair wasn't that obvious. If there's one thing he'd learned from his papa, it's that appearances and presentation were always important if you want to make a good impression and that it was a way to boost your confidence. 'If you can look confident,' his dad told him, 'you'll start to feel confident too.'

Max stared at his reflection in the mirror. He straightened his shirt and combed through his hair with his fingers. While combing his hair, his finger bumped into his horn. Max tilted his head to get a better look at his horns. They were still small, barely visible through his blue curls. They've grown! Max thought with excitement. I can't wait to show papa and dad! But then he remembered that he couldn't and that demon marks were frowned upon in this universe.

Maybe I should glamor them a bit, Max thought, suddenly filled with self-doubt. It's not like it'd make a difference. They couldn't see my horns because of my hair in the first place. So Max muttered a spell to glamor his horns. He looked at his reflection again. But this time he stared at his skin instead of his horns. He'd placed a slight glamor on it, making him seem paler, and a light shade of blue. But seeing the glamor made him frown at his reflection. He didn't like it. Max decided to change it again. But instead of removing the glamor, he decided to go for a darker skin tone, one that looked slightly more like Raf's.

Just like the last time, Max decided to minimize the glamor. Just enough for him to look different, but not enough for it to be obvious. It was subtle and well planned, just like him. He also darkened his hair to another shade of blue, while he was at it. What was one more glamor anyway?

Max took one last glance at the mirror before stepping out of the room. Slowly, but steadily, he walked towards the training room while trying to ignore those stares from all the unknown shadowhunters.

.

.

.

Clary brought them lunch around noon. She also took over Isabelle's shift in babysitting watching Alec. Izzy gave Alec one more hug before leaving while muttering something about being in desperate need of a shower. He wasn't sure whether she meant herself or him, but after a subtle sniff at himself, he concluded that she probably meant the both of them.

Alec sat down on his desk chair again and stared at the files he'd been going through for the past hour. He mentally sighed at the endless pile of work in front of him as he took a bite out of the sandwich Clary brought. It was quite delicious, and exactly what he needed.

'You don't need to work right now, you know that right?' Clary commented, just like Isabelle did.

'I-' He swallowed his mouth full of sandwich. 'I know, but it keeps me busy.'

'There are other ways,' Clary reasoned, 'other things that you can do.'

'I know,' Alec replied, 'but this is the most productive one, and I need to feel like I'm doing something.' He let out a frustrated groan. 'I need to convince myself that I'm not sitting around like some useless piece of shit while Magnus' doing all the work.' He scoffs 'Though that's exactly what's going on right now.'

'You're being too hard on yourself,' Clary frowned. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulders. 'You're working yourself to the bone right now. You should rest, otherwise, you won't be able to do anything when Magnus and the boys need you.'

Alec sighed in defeat. 'I suppose you're right. Maybe I'll go and take a nap.'

Clary nodded. 'Yes, do that. You'll feel much better after.'

Alec's phone went off for the second time that day, making the two shadowhunters jump. Alec was too tired to be bothered with checking the caller ID before picking up. He was ready to snap at the person on the other side of the line for calling before a young and upbeat voice greeted him.

'Hey, Alec!' Octavian. 'Can Raf and Max come over? Jules bought me a drone! Well, technically Emma did since she was the one that convinced him to buy me one. But that's not important. Can Raf and Max come over so we can test it out on the beach?'

Alec was incapable of speech, his throat was shut tight. Just hearing a child's voice made his heart clench and miss his boys even more. How on earth was he going to tell Octavian that Rafael and Max were missing and that they had no idea where they were or whether they were even alive? How could he tell this kid that he might never play with his best friends again?

'Alec? Hello?' Alec wanted to tell Octavian that it was fine, that they'd all spend the day at the beach together. He wanted it more than anything. But he couldn't. He couldn't even utter a single syllable.

Clary must've seen the pain and conflict on his face. She took the phone out of his hand and brought it to her ear. He couldn't take it anymore. He didn't want to be there when Clary explained the situation to the Blackthorns. So he stormed out of his office and headed towards the training room to punch out all of his anger and frustration.

.

.

.

Clary could see the way the color drained from Alec's face. Something wasn't right.

She took the phone out of Alec's hands, he stormed off seconds later.

'Hello?' Clary greeted. 'Who's this?'

'Clary?' A boy's voice asked from the other side of the line. Oh. That's why Alec stormed off.

'Tavvy.'

'Don't call me that!' Octavian complained. 'I'm too old for it. Just call me Tav.'

Clay could hear someone laugh in the background. 'You'll always be our Tavvy,' they said. She heard Octavian stuck his tongue out.

'But, anyway,' He continued, 'I thought that I called Alec.'

'Ye- yes you did,' Clary replied. 'But uhm, Alec had to go handle some urgent business. Why did you call again?'

'Oh! Jules bought me a drone and I called Alec to ask whether Raf and Max could come over and test it out on the beach.' Octavian sounded so happy and excited, and for a second Clary considered to lie, to tell him that the boys couldn't come over because of some ordinary reason. But she decided against it. They deserved to know. Raziel! Clary really hated to be the bearer of bad news.

She cleared her throat. 'Tav, is Emma or Jules around? I really need to speak to them for a second.'

'Yeah, Emma's here,' Octavian replied, sounding a bit confused, 'why do you want to speak to her? Can Raf and Max come over or not?'

Clary found it really hard to talk right now. 'Just- just hand the phone to Emma.'

Octavian sighed. 'Oookay,' he drawled out. Obviously not wanting to.

Emma came on the phone after a few seconds. 'Hey, Clary! What's up?'

'Emma, you might want to sit down for this', Clary warned.

'Okay?' She sounded confused. 'Is something wrong? What happened?'

With a sigh, Clary started to tell Emma about the situation.

'fuuuck,' Emma breathed when Clary finished.

'Yeah', Clary agreed. 'Alec just stormed out after hearing Tavvy's voice on the phone.'

'I don't blame him. This is horrible!'

'It really is. I guess it's kind of cowardly of me, but can you please be the one to inform Octavian of the situation? There's just so much going on right now, and I don't have the heart to tell him the news. Much less over the phone.'

'O-of course! I'll sit everyone down and inform them all at once- if that's what you want.'

'You guys deserve to know, but please don't spread it. We're trying to stay under the radar to avoid extra troubles.'

'No one else will know, I promise.' Emma's voice turned softer. 'If there's anything you guys need, anything at all, feel free to just ask. I know how it feels and we'll be there for you guys, just like you were there for us when-' she didn't need to finish her sentence for Clary to understand.

'Thank you.' Clary ended the call and let herself fall face first onto the couch. She grunted into one of the pillows. She really needed this shit-show to end.


	9. Chapter IX

Max arrived at the stairs to the training room at the same time as Isabelle and a brown haired kid.

'Oh! Hey Max,' Isabelle greeted as they ascended up the stairs. 'This is-'

'Max!' Alec jumped up from a bench on the other side of the training room. Surprised by the excited greeting, Max responded with a confused 'Hey?'

'Alec!' The kid ran across the room and tackled Alec in a bear hug.

During their hug, Rafael had made it over to Max' side and the two of them were staring at the huggers with equal confusion (and a bit of jealousy. Alec was their dad).

'Max, Raf, this is Max, our little brother,' Isabelle introduced when the hug ended. _Ooooh_ , Max thought. _That explains it. But he looks different from the pictures. Where are his glasses?_ He broke out of his train of thoughts when he saw Max approaching him. Max straightened a bit under the younger boy's stare.

'You're blue', was the first thing he said. And Max forced himself not to wince. 'If you can look confident…' his father's voice reminded him.

'I've noticed,' Max deadpanned, earning a couple of chuckles from the others. The other Max just nodded.

'I'm Max,' the brunet said, stretching out a hand for Max to shake, 'short for Maxwell.'

Max took his hand. 'I'm Max, short for… uhm…. Nothing actually.'

Rafael was the next to shake Maxwell's hand. 'I'm Rafael,' he said while slinging his other arm over Max's shoulder, 'Max' older brother.'

Max seemed to be confused by that. 'But you're a shadowhunter,' he pointed out, 'and he's a warlock. How can you be brothers?'

They've been asked that question for as long as Max could remember. It usually came paired with a tone of mockery and, or disgust. Being the defensive older brother, Rafael was usually quick to snap those bastards off. But Max also knew that Raf had a soft spot for younger children.

'Because we're family,' Rafael answered calmly. 'It's just like…-' Rafael frowned, trying to find a way to explain it. '-Jace ! Yeah. Max is my brother like how Jace is yours.' He smiled, Max could see that he was pleased with himself for coming up with that –obvious, in Max' opinion- example.

'But Jace is not my brother,' Max stated matter of factly.

The older Lightwood siblings gasped in shock. 'Max!' Izzy exclaimed. 'How can you say such things!'

'But it's true!' Max defended. 'He's adopted, we're not related!' The Lightwoods seemed to be at a loss for words, all they could do was gawp at their little brother. _wow_ , Max thought, _there are definitely some issues in this family_.

Rafael was the one to speak up and intervene by placing a hand on the youngest Lightwood's shoulder in an 'I'm older than you and more knowledgeable so let me explain it to you you little child' manner. It was something he'd picked up some time ago from Raziel knows where, and he loved to use it on Max, much to his displeasure. Having understood the meaning of the gesture, Maxwell shook off Raf's hand with an irritated look. Raf shrugged in indifference. But his expression grew serious as he spoke: ' So what , Max. Maxwell. Lightwood. Who cares that Jace is adopted. I'm adopted, and so is Max. And do you think that our parents would love us less than if we were their biological offsprings? Of course not! Cause guess what, that doesn't work in a gay relationship.

'Blood doesn't mean family, Max, and it definitely doesn't mean love. _Dios Mio!_

Do you think, that if it was true, Max would've been abandoned in front of the shadowhunters academy as a baby by his mother, knowing damn well what could've, or would've happened to him? Do you think, that our father would've left me alone, starving in that dark and dirty alley in Buenos Aires, haunted by all the monsters and demons that I could see? I wouldn't trade my family for the one I don't remember, and Max wouldn't trade it for the cold hearted mother he's never known.

'Family doesn't start, nor does it end in blood Max. It's created by love, and without it, it wouldn't be a family. If you still think that you need anything else than love to be a family, then you couldn't be more wrong.'

At the end of his speech, the Lightwood siblings were silent. Max glanced at Alec and Izzy, checking their reaction. Alec seemed shocked, but Max could see the pride in his eyes and perhaps a hint of pity. Izzy on the other hand was wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes. Aah, typical aunt Izzy. Always a sucker for a good sob story.

Though Max didn't consider his past worthy to be called a tragic back story. Yeah, he got abandoned by some mundane woman. But he doesn't remember it and he now has a loving family. In his opinion, being abandoned was probably one of the best things that could've happened to him.

Rafael's story, on the other hand, was much more of a sob story. Too young to remember his last family, but old enough to be traumatized and still be haunted by the nightmares.

Isabelle took a step forward and pulled her nephew into a tight hug. And while the air inside Rafael's lungs was being squeezed out by Isabelle's hug, Max turned to face his younger namesake and asked: 'Do you love Jace?'

Max looked down, shifting his feet, and shrugged.

'Let me rephrase that. If Jace was to be hurt, would you worry?'

Max nodded, still staring at the ground.

'If he'd leave, would you miss him?'

Max hesitated, then nodded.

'As much as you'd miss Alec or Izzy?'

It took him longer to answer this time, but he nodded nevertheless.

'If that's so, doesn't it mean that you see him as a brother, or at least view him as someone with equal importance to you as Izzy and Alec?'

'Yeah, I think so.'

Max grinned, proud to have gotten the kid in front of him to realize that he did think of the narcissistic blond as his brother.

It didn't take Izzy long to pull him into the hug. Max enjoyed the hug, even though he couldn't breathe. Who needed air anyways?

.

.

.

'Since that we're in the training room,' Alec started, interrupting the moment the boys were having with Izzy, 'we should probably do some training.' Izzy sighed as she released the boys.

'Couldn't you see that we were having a moment, here, Alec?' She groaned.

'As a matter of fact, I did', Alec said with a smug smile on his lips. 'But I could also see that Max has grown since the last time we've seen him, and I'd like to see if his time in Mumbai has paid off.'

'Mumbai?' Rafael asked. 'What were you doing in Mumbai?' Max too was quite confused, No one mentioned Mumbai being part of the family history.

Maxwell brightened at the mention of Mumbai. 'I went there to study and train with others', Max said, smiling fondly at the memories. 'It was great! I've learned so much.'

'So much indeed,' Izzy grinned. 'Max, why don't you tell them why you're back early?'

Max's cheeks flushed red. Alec looked frowning down at his brother. 'I thought you were back early for the wedding?' _The wedding._ Just the mention of it made Max's stomach turn. There's no way he'd let his father marry someone other than Magnus. But the subject was soon forgotten as the conversation went on.

'I got in trouble,' Max said, shuffling his feet.

'Trouble? what kind of trouble?' Alec asked, his voice filled with concern.

'I got hungry so I tried to draw the nourishment rune, but I confused it with the heat rune, and I may have set fire to the Institute.'

Upon hearing Max's confession, the Lightwood-Bane brothers doubled over in laughter. Alec started to laugh too after overcoming his shock.

'It's not that funny', Max pouted in embarrassment.

'Oh, no no no no no,' Rafael assured Max, his laughter dying down as he tried to catch his breath. 'There's nothing to be embarrassed of. It's just that these things usually happen to Max and me, and everyone always says that only we manage to end every project in some kind of hazard. We've accidentally started two fires in the Institute, Max set fire to our apartment-'

'That only happened because you distracted me while I was trying to summon the cat-demon _you_ wanted!' Max interrupted. If Raf was telling stories, he'd better tell them right.

'Oh! and there was this incident at the LA Institute where we filled the entire living room with snow and turned the hallways into ice rinks.'

'Once again, you were the one that wanted to reenact Frozen. Not Tavvy, not me, _you_ .'

The Lightwoods were laughing at their bickering and its context. Alec was the first one to recover. 'Okay, okay, guys, stop bickering. You can vent out your frustrations during the training.' He turned to his sister. 'Izzy, can you go get the training swords?' She nodded and went to fetch the swords.

'But what about Max?' Maxwell asked.

'What About Max?' Alec asked.

'Well, he's a Warlock. Does he need or know how to do shadowhunter training?'

Again with the prejudice. Max was getting sick of shadowhunters thinking that he couldn't do what they did just because he's a warlock.

'Of course he-' Rafael stopped when placed a hand on his arm. He didn't need his brother to fight his battle, he could handle it himself.

'As a matter of fact, I do know how to train the way shadowhunters do,' Max said, trying to imitate his father's so called smiling bitch face. 'I have been trained with my brother by the best shadowhunters way longer than you, so don't get too cocky cause I can beat you in an instant.'

'Prove it,' Max challenged, showing off his Lightwood arrogance and competitiveness.

'You're on, bitch.'

'Max!' Izzy exclaimed, dumping the wooden training swords at her feet. 'Language!'

'But Raf says it too!' Max whined, his cool kid act shattered in an instant.

'Rafael isn't allowed to say it either,' Alec said, using the same voice as their father would whenever he's scolding them. 'And Rafael-' he looked Rafael sternly in the eye '-you need to set a good example for your brother.'

'It's not like it's a bad thing!' Rafael protested. 'And you guys say it too!'

'That's because we're older,' Isabelle said, pulling the classic age card to settle the matter.

'Language isn't about age, it's about expressing yourself in the way you want.' Rafael retorted, being the smart-ass that he was.

'Okay, enough,' Alec declared, putting an end to their squabble. He turned his attention to the two Maxes. 'Now how about you both show us what you know.' He picked up two wooden swords and handed one to the both of them. 'Remember, this is just a training, and I expect you both to fight fair.' The two nodded.

'Good. Now take your positions.'

Max rolled his shoulders. Grinning, he looked the younger boy in the eye. 'I'll go easy on you.'

.

.

.

 _The sky was already darkening when Magnus portalled into the Institute library again. After a day of searching and reading in the Spiral Labyrinth, he was ready to fall face down onto a couch and sleep for a week. With the help of Tessa, Catarina and a couple of scholars, he'd been able to create a portal that made interdimensional travel possible without it being an accident. Magnus had never been more grateful for those stuck up magic nerds._

 _The first person Magnus saw as he stumbled out of the portal was Clary. She immediately rushed to his side, preventing him from facepalming into the carpet. He thanked her. Magnus doubted that he'd manage to get up if he'd fall, and he'd rather not be seen passed out, probably drooling on the Institute ground. He had a reputation to uphold._

 _'By the Angel, you look horrible, Magnus', Clary exclaimed as she brought them over to the couch._

 _'Thanks, biscuit, what nice of you to say that', Magnus groaned._

 _Clary blushed in embarrassment. 'I didn't mean it l-'_

 _'I'm just messing with you, I know that I look terrible,' Magnus reassured her. He'd never thought that he would ever speak those words. 'It's hard to maintain a perfect appearance when you're trying to invent a kind of portal while you're surrounded by know it all scholars and constantly worrying about your children at the same time.'_

 _'Did- did you find anything?' Clary asked hesitantly._

 _'Yes, we did,' Magnus answered with a proud smile. 'We, well mostly Tessa and I, managed to create a portal that'll allow us to travel through the dimensions.'_

 _Clary beamed. 'That's-'_

 _'But,' Magnus interrupted. His face grave and tired, there's always a 'but'. 'If what Simon said is true, then there're billions, no, an infinite amount of different universes. I may be immortal, but even I do not have the time to check every single one of them.'_

 _Clary's face fell, and knowing what her next question will be, Magnus shook his head. 'We still haven't found a way to locate them yet. I wanted to keep on searching, but Tessa and Catarina kicked me out of the Labyrinth, insisting that I'd rest.'_

 _'And they're absolutely right,' Clary agreed. 'You're in no shape to do anything helpful right now. You can continue after you've slept till dawn, at least.'_

 _Magnus nodded, not capable of disagreeing. 'Where's Alec,' he asked._

 _'Resting in his old room,' Clary answered. 'Jace dragged him there after he worked himself to the bone and then decided to vent out his frustrations and worries by sparring with Jace. He basically passed out in the training room out of overexertion.'_

 _Magnus cursed. 'And he told me to look after myself.' He sighed. 'I should've to give them to him sooner,' he thought out loud._

 _'Give what to him,' Clary asked, not understanding what he meant._

 _Magnus pulled out two crystals out of his pocket: one blue, one red. Both had a leather cord around them so that they could be worn as a necklace._

 _'What are those?' Clary asked, unable to take her eyes off the shining crystals in Magnus' hand._

 _'They were supposed to be Alec's birthday present,' Magnus answered. He sighed. 'The boys are growing up, they'll be wanting to go out hunting for demons like any other reckless shadowhunter, and you know how Alec gets. He'll be constantly worried about their safety and will probably end up getting in the way. That's why I made these, they're connected to the boy's life force. The blue one's Max and the red one's Rafael. If one of them is physically wounded, the crystal's color will start to fade. And if it becomes life threatening, the crystal will start to flicker. When we found out that they were gone, Max's crystal was almost clear and Raf's was dull. I swear, I almost fainted, or vomited.'_

 _'But the crystals are shining red and blue, does that mean-'_

 _'Yes, biscuit. It means that they're healed now. And thank God for that, because I wouldn't be able to live with myself if my children died somewhere in another dimension while I'm incapable of saving them, or at least help them in any way. It also means that they're taken care of, or at least unharmed. I can only hope that it'll still be that way until we find a way to bring them home.'_

 _Magnus pocketed the crystals and tried to stand up. His head started spinning immediately and he almost fell back onto the couch, almost. But he forced himself to go on, he was not about to embarrass himself again in front of Clary. He bade her good night and with a great amount of effort, he managed to drag himself to Alec's bedroom._

 _The light of the hallway shone into the room, illuminating Alec's sleeping figure. Magnus stood at the doorway and took a moment to admire his boyfriend's peaceful appearance. He then closed the door behind him as quietly as he could and tiptoed to the bed. He'd been pretty quiet in his opinion, but then again, Alec had alway been a light sleeper._

 _'Magnus?' Alec mumbled with his eyes closed, his voice drowsy. ''S that you?'_

 _'Yes, Alexander, it's me', Magnus responded softly. He sat down on the bed and pulled the crystals out of his pockets before snapping his fingers to remove the makeup and change into his nightwear. He randomly picked one of the two crystals and pulled it over Alec's head._

 _'Wha's this?' Alec asked. He opened one eye to look at the crystal._

 _'It's a gift, Alexander', Magnus answered, pulling the other crystal over his own head before laying himself down beside his boyfriend._

 _'Tis blue.' Was Alec's only comment._

 _Magnus chuckled. 'Yes, it is.'_

 _'C'mere' Alec groaned, pulling Magnus towards him. They fell asleep in each other's arms. foreheads touching, legs entangled, and the two crystals shining softly between them._


	10. Chapter X

The Maxes took their starting positions cross each other, their weapons ready.

Alec, as the referee, stepped between the two boys and said: 'Once again, I expect a fair fight. No dirty tricks, don't continue when the other …. … or surrenders, and no hard feelings after the fight, no matter the outcome. Are we clear?' He looked both boys in the eye.

'Yes', the boys answered in unison.

'Good. May the best shado-' Alec seemed to forget that Max wasn't a shadowhunter for a second. He corrected himself quickly. '-uh, no. May the best fighter win.' He stepped away. The fight has started.

'Go Max!' Isabelle cheered from the side.

''Which one?' Max heard Rafael ask.

'Both of them, of course.'

Max returned his focus onto his opponent. He wasn't worried about losing to the younger kid, he knew that he was stronger. But, as his father taught him: _one should never underestimate the opponent, pride is what makes you lose the fight_. So no matter how weak or small the opponent may seem, Max would always keep his guard up for the unexpected.

He did, however, liked to taunt his opponent a bit. It was a bad habit he'd picked up from his uncle and brother. He flashed the smaller boy a grin and winked, an invitation for the boy to show him what he got.

The younger Lightwood growled, mistaking the gesture for underestimation instead of playful taunting.

As Max expected, the younger Lightwood charged instead of waiting for him to attack. Max deflected the blows easily. It was clear to see that he wasn't planning on going onto the offense, he kept defending without striking. Though he did occasionally point out the places Maxwell left open with his sword, but in a way so that the younger boy could easily deflect his blows. They went on for a while: attack, block, attack, and block.

It was a good thing that Max always kept his guard up because Maxwell seemed to realize that the usual tactics wouldn't help him win the fight. Halfway through the fight, Maxwell pulled a faint: he slashed the sword to Max' left side, waited for Max to lift his sword to block, leaving his right side open, and flicked his wrist at the last moment to change the course of his sword. He then pulled the sword up, aiming for Max' open right side. Max could see the younger boy smile, assuming that he'd already won the fight. But Max was fast and always on his toes when fighting, he managed to block the blow in the second. Maxwell's smile fell and growled in frustration. The cycle continued: attack, block, attack, and block.

Eventually, Raf, who had been standing on the sidelines, was getting sick of the endless and boring cycle. 'Just finish it already!' He yelled. 'You could've finished it in the first ten seconds. I want to train too!'

Upon his brother's request, Max flashed the younger boy a grin and said: 'Well, you heard him. This is fun, but I'm going to end this now.' And within ten seconds, Max had the younger boy sitting flat on his derriere and his swords halfway across the room.

Maxwell pouted and adverted his eyes, clearly unpleased with the outcome of the fight. Max held out a hand to help the younger boy up and gave him an encouraging smile. 'You fought well,' Max told Maxwell, 'and I didn't see the faint coming, it's was a smart move.' Maxwell looked up, a smile forming on his lips. He took Max' hand. 'But it was a bit reckless', Max continued. 'You could've hurt your wrist, the sword is quite heavy.'

Maxwell sighed. 'I know, but I really wanted to win', he admitted.

Max chuckled. 'Better luck next time.'

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.

.

Max fought better than Alec expected. His movements were fluid, his steps graceful, he made the fight seem like the easiest thing in the world. Max had talent, a whole lot of talent, and the kid's only ten! It wasn't hard to imagine that Max would probably grow up surpassing the best shadowhunters.

There was also something very familiar about Max' way of fighting, but Alec couldn't quite place his finger on it. Because of that, Alec kept his focus almost solely on Max, even though he was supposed to keep an eye on both boys as the referee. Suddenly it happened: Maxwell went for a head blow, and the way Max blocked it, the position of the blade, and the twist of his upper body. It was something Alec had only seen Jace always do. He saw it again when Max went in for an attack several blocks later, but this time it reminded Alec of his sister instead of brother. Another couple of blocks later, Max used a technic that he himself used often. _Just who is this kid trained by?_ Alec wondered.

It was near the end of the duel when Maxwell pulled the faint, and even Alec didn't see it coming. For a second, he too thought that his younger brother was going to win the battle. But Max, with his incredible reflexes, managed to block the blow, surprising Alec once again with his skills.

'That's my brother!' Rafael huffed proudly beside Alec. And for some reason, Alec too felt a flare of pride rush through him.

As the fight went on, Alec could see that the younger of the two was starting to tire: his movements became slower, a bit sluggish, his blows landed softer, and he started misplacing his footing, resulting in a loss of balance. The older Max, on the other hand, seemed unaffected by the length of the fight.

Eventually, Rafael seemed to have had enough of the duel and yelled: 'Just finish it already! You could've finished it in the first ten seconds!' Though it seemed unrealistic and unlikely to Alec, Max surprised Alec once again by doing just that. Within ten seconds, his brother was down, and his weapon far out of his reach.

At the end of the fight, Alec walked up to the two boys, who were having a friendly conversation. Alec congratulated Max on his victory, complimented his extraordinary performance (Max beamed upon hearing this), and ruffled the boys head. Alec then turned to his brother. He told him that he'd put up a good fight (to which Max huffed in disbelieve), and complimented on his advancement in his sword fighting skills. He also teased Max by saying that his time Mumbai has been educational, though there was something lacking in the field of Rune studies, which made everyone laugh. Max's cheeks reddened but soon joined in with the laughter.

The laughter soon subdued, and Rafael took the change to suggest another round of training. Only this time a fight between his brother and him. Alec found this an interesting idea. He wanted to see the way Rafael fought too, and whether it contained aspects of his and his siblings' fighting styles as well. He wasn't the only one, his siblings seemed eager to see the two spar as well.

Rafael grinned. 'Just so you know, our training is a bit… unusual', he warned, his grin turning into something mischievous. Alec frowned, not sure what to think or expect.

'Now where's my…' Rafael mumbled, patting his pockets in search of something. 'Ah!' He pulled out his stele from his back pocket and handed it to Max, who started to trace an unknown faded rune on the inside of Rafael's upper arm. It was an odd place to draw a rune, in Alec's opinion. When Max finished tracing the rune, he handed the stele back to his brother and lifted his shirt, revealing the same faded rune on his stomach.

Alec gasped in surprise. And before he could stop it, Rafael placed the stele onto his brother's stomach and traced the rune. Alec stared at it in horror, expecting Max to cry out in pain at any moment. But it didn't happen. On the contrary, Max seemed to be more lively than before.

'What- How?' Alec seemed to be incapable of uttering words other than single syllabled interrogative words.

'What kind of rune in that?!' Max asked in awe. Apparently, his own brother was better in these kinds of situations than he was.

'It's just an Alliance Rune,' Rafael said, rolling his shoulders and warming up. 'Oh, wait! It hasn't been created yet here, has it?'

'You can't _create_ a rune', Isabelle stated. Alec nodded, but kept his mouth shut, not trusting himself being able to say anything intelligent.

'It's possible, just not for everybody,' Rafael answered. 'Now if you excuse me, I really want to do this so…' He turned around and pulled Max with him.

'Wait!' Isabelle called out in frustration. 'You can't just say that and walk away dammit!'

'Language!' Rafael mocked from the center of the training room.

'Uuh!' Isabelle huffed. Alec wanted to protest too and demand answers from the boys, but the second they started, Alec found himself unable to look away. The unspoken words forgotten.

.

.

.

 _Alec woke up with Magnus in his arms. Not remembering the events of the past days due to his hazy state of mind, Alec snuggled closer to his boyfriend, trying to enjoy the peace and quiet before the boys woke up and making it impossible to stay in bed. Alec tried to fall asleep again, but the sun shining on his face was making it quite hard._ That's odd, _Alec thought, his mind still drowsy from sleep,_ the sun's supposed to shine in my back, not my face _. Alec's thoughts trailed off. It took him a moment before picking up his train of thoughts again._ Unless we're at the institute… Institute… What are we doing at the institute? …..the boys must've wanted to stay over again… the boys…

 _Alec sat up abruptly. 'The boys!' He exclaimed. Magnus opened his eyes, awoken by Alec's sudden cry. Alec turned to look at Magnus, a red crystal necklace around Magnus' collar caught his eye. He also felt a weight hanging from his own. Alec looked down and saw a similar crystal hanging from his neck, only his was blue. Alec shook his head, the necklaces were the least of his worries now._

 _'_ _Alexander! What's going on? It's six in the morning!' When Magnus sat up and saw the look of distress on Alec's face, his alarmed expression turned softer. Magnus gently took Alec's hands into his own and started rubbing circles on the back of Alec's hands._

 _'_ _You're back from the Spiral Labyrinth!' Alec started, his racing mind was filled with questions. 'Did- ' But Magnus cut him off. 'Alexander,' Magnus said, his voice soft yet steady. 'I'm going to stop you before you start firing questions at me that'll just worsen your worries.' Alec wanted to object, but Magnus stopped him with a soft kiss before he could speak. 'Don't argue with me on this, Alexander. We've been together for quite a while now, don't think that I don't know your habits through and through.'_

 _Just hearing Magnus say that made Alec's insides flutter. It was as if he was a teenager with a crush again. Magnus gave Alec's hand before continuing._

 _'_ _I came back to the Institute yesterday after Tessa and Cat kicked me out of the Labyrinth to get some rest-' Alec mentally thanked them for that. 'And do you know what I heard when I came back?' Magnus gave Alec a stern look. 'I was told that you passed out from exhaustion and that Jace had to carry you back to your room.' Alec blushed. 'And you were the one to tell me to take care of myself, so hypocritical of you.'_

 _'_ _I'm sorry,' Alec mumbled._

 _'_ _You'd better be', Magnus huffed. His look then softened and he kissed Alec again. 'I'm just glad that you're all right.'_

 _'_ _I'm glad that you're all right too.'_

 _'_ _Now that's out of the way, I can continue with the important stuff', Magnus declared. 'I came back yesterday night, but not before we found a way to create a portal that could travel between dimensions. But don't get too excited, my dear. I have yet to tell you the bad news. See, we might've managed to create the portal, but we still haven't located the boys yet. There are infinite universes out there, Alexander, we can't just go barging into every single one of them in an attempt to find Rafael and Max. And before you start arguing with me, I will not allow you to travel to every dimension like a certain hot headed Herondale would.'_

 _Alec snorted._

 _'_ _You laugh, but I know that the thought must've crossed your mind once or twice.'_

 _He did consider doing that. And even though he knew that it'd just be a waste of time and energy, he'd do it for his sons. Alec leaned forward to place a kiss on Magnus' forehead. 'You know me too well,' he mumbled as he buried his head in the crook of Magnus' neck._

 _'_ _Of course I do', Magnus scoffed. 'And I even put up with your shadowhunter shenanigans. I must be a saint!'_

 _Alec chuckled. 'And here I was, thinking that I fell in love with a powerful warlock that preforms satanic rituals for money.'_

 _'_ _If enduring those ignorant mortals so I can support my family doesn't make me a saint, then I don't know what will. '_

 _'_ _Okay, okay,' Alec agreed laughing, 'I'm sure that rest of our family will agree with you on that.'_

 _'_ _Of course they do!' Magnus scoffed. 'I'll be having a serious conversation with those who disagree!'_

 _Alec's cheeks hurt from smiling, and he loved Magnus for making him feel this joy in their darkest moments. The two of them cuddled in silence, just enjoying each other's presence._

 _After a while, Alec broke the silence. 'Do you-' he was cut off by Magnus._

 _'_ _We're doing our best trying to find a way to locate them', Magnus said softly, knowing exactly what was troubling Alec. 'It's hard, and it has never been done before, not to our knowledge. But as long as there's a way, a chance to find them, then I won't stop until I do. It doesn't matter if it seems impossible. Isn't that what the New York institute is famous for? Doing the impossible and the unimaginable? Now if you'd just let me enjoy this moment with you for a little while longer before I have to go back to spending the day with those stuck up scholars.'_

 _Instead of answering, Alec laid the two of them down onto the bed and snuggled close to Magnus._ Just a few minutes _, Alec thought as he closed his eyes._ Just a couple more before returning to face reality.

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.

.

Rafael wasn't lying when he said that their training was unusual. Alec almost had a heart attack when Rafael summoned a blue ball of fire in his hand and threw it at his brother as if it were a dodgeball.

' _Cool!_ ' Max breathed next to Alec.

Max somehow managed to catch the fireball and distinguish it. 'Raf! It's not fireproof here!' He called out.

'Oh shit! Sorry!'

The way they trained was unlike anything Alec had ever seen before: One moment they were fighting with the swords, the next they were engaged in hand-to-hand combat, and then they were suddenly flinging each other across the room with magic and throwing balls of ice and water.

Their techniques were almost flawless, very advanced for children their age. What they did, didn't look like fighting. _It's like a dance_ , Alec thought. _Like a performance of some sorts._ Whatever it was, it was mesmerizing. Alec found himself unable to look away. It didn't take long for other shadowhunters to stop and watch.

The fight was intense, and no doubt taxing. Beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads and their backs were soaked with sweat and water. But it was clear to see that they were having fun. Huge smiles were plastered onto their faces, and they were joking around like they were the only ones in the room.

Eventually, the boys started to tire. Their movements slowed, their aims were off, and they were panting.

The fight came to an end, and Rafael threw his last ball of ice. But he tripped just as he was about to throw it. The ice ball missed Max completely and headed straight towards a group of shadowhunters. The shadowhunters dived out of the way, revealing a certain warlock climbing up the stairs behind them.

'Magnus!' Alec called out in alarm, rushing forwards. The ball of ice was flying straight towards Magnus' head.

Magnus' eyes widened in surprise but managed to stop the ice ball with a snap of his fingers. It hovered an inch in front of his nose. Alec stopped in his track, and let out a breath of relief. With another snap, Magnus made the ball of ice disappear. For a moment, it was completely silent.

'Ah, Yes. I always get such warm welcomes when I come here', Magnus said sarcastically.

And without missing a beat, Rafael replied: 'I don't know, I think most that most people would consider ice cold instead of warm.'


	11. Chapter XI

'Magnus!' Max greeted enthusiastically, as he ran up to the warlock. He'd finally gotten used to calling him by his name instead of papa. Max hadn't worried when Rafael's ice ball almost smashed Magnus' glittery face, he knew that Magnus wouldn't have troubles handling it. He was the one who taught them that trick after all.

Max tackled Magnus into a hug, causing the warlock to take a step back to keep his balance. 'You're back!' Max tilt his head to look at the older warlock.

'Yes, and you're sweaty,' Magnus said with a grimace. Max hastily detached himself from Magnus. 'Sorry', he apologized. Suddenly, the young warlock remembered where Magnus had been before he returned. 'How's Ragnor?' He asked, still worried about the incident earlier that day.

'He's still sleeping,' Magnus answered, ruffling Max's hair affectionately. 'He's going to make a full recovery. I've also put up strengthened the wards around his cottage and put up some of my own. Catarina's with him now, she's a friend of Ragnor and mine, and very good at healing magic.' Max let out a breath of relief. He felt better knowing that Ragnor was getting better, and wasn't worried anymore after hearing that his aunt Cat was with Ragnor.

Max yawned, he was hungry and tired. The training had taken his toll on him, all he wanted was to go home, eat dinner, take a (much needed) shower and sleep. A part of him actually dreaded staying at the New York Institute, he was tired of all those strangers. He liked the real institute: the one with only his family and people he knew and liked. Here, it was too noisy, too full of people, too full of judgmental eyes staring at him.

All of a sudden, an idea came to his mind. 'Can I stay at your place?' Max asked hopefully.

Magnus looked taken aback by the sudden request. 'What?'

'Can I stay at your place?' Max repeated. 'You said that I'd get to help you when you came back, and it's obvious that you don't like coming here. So if you'd let me stay at your apartment, then I can help you without you needing to come here!'

'I wanna go too!' Rafael jogged up to the two warlocks. 'We're a pair. You can't get one without the other. You'll need to magic another room though, I doubt that you have extra rooms seeing that you live alone.'

Max nodded in agreement. 'But we'll share a room so you'll only be needing to add one room.'

'Wai- WAIT a second!' Magnus interfered. 'I didn't say anything about allowing you guys to stay at my place! Aren't the two of you staying here?'

'But I want to go with you!' Max whined. 'You promised I could help!'

'Help, yes, not staying over', Magnus countered.

Max wanted to go, but he didn't want to reveal the real reasons of why we wanted to leave the institute. But he had his ways to get what he wanted. He pouted and did his best puppy eyes, it was a look that he knew that Magnus couldn't resist. The tears in his eyes helped to strengthen the effect. 'Pretty please?' Max asked softly, quivering his lower lip, and making sure he held eye contact with his victim.

Rafael decided to help as well. 'Please?' He asked. 'It's the only thing we'll ask of you.' He paused, slung his arms over Max' shoulders, hugging him from behind. Rafael also put on his own set of puppy eyes. 'Look at him, how can you say no?'

Magnus looked very conflicted. He wanted to say no, but the sad puppy eyes made it impossible. _just a little while longer_ … Max thought.

Just when Magnus was about to break, Alec decided to interfere. 'That's enough guys,' Alec said sternly. 'You heard Magnus, he said no.' Magnus' relief was easy to read Max turned his puppy eyes to Alec, even though he knew that it wouldn't work. His father was the only one able to resist his most adorable puppy eyes. But he could at least try, maybe this Alec couldn't resist them.

Unfortunately, he could. 'Don't look at me like that,' Alec said, 'it won't work on me.' Max sighed internally. But he had one last trick up his sleeve: He clung onto Magnus and buried his face in Magnus' shirt. After a few seconds of preparations, he looked up. He sniffled softly, there was a tear in the corner of his right eye and another rolling down his left cheek. 'But you want us to go with you, right?' Max sniffled. 'But if we really can't go, could you-' he sniffled '- could you stay with us? I don't want you to leave.' This was it. Max had given all that he had. Magnus looked flustered, and no doubt about to agree. He was obviously waiting for Alec to help him out. There was still just only a 50-50 chance of it working on Alec.

The tears had made his view blurry, but from the corner of his eye, he could see a blurred Isabelle trying to suppress her laughter. But it wasn't only Isabelle who was amused by Alec and Magnus' display of parental behavior. The chuckles and suppressed laughter of the shadowhunters were catching the attention of the two men. Alec's face reddened and Magnus quickly straightened his posture.

'Enough's enough!' Alec stated.

'But-' Max was cut off by Alec.

'No buts, we're not continuing this argument.'

Max looked at Magnus, awaiting his answer. Instead of giving them a simple yes or no, Magnus went for the one annoying answer that every kid hated: 'I'll think about it.'

Max huffed, knowing that it meant no, but didn't press the matter.

'Anyway,' Magnus said, detaching himself from Max' clutches. 'I actually came here for Clary. Where is she?'

'I'm here,' a voice said from behind. Max looked past Magnus to see Clary ascend up the stairs. 'Jace's resting in his room', she told Alec. Clary turned to Magnus. 'Why do you need me?'

'Ah, yes. Since Ragnor was unconscious and unable to help, I searched his house for everything that may lead us to The Book of the White. I've brought the ones that could lead us to the book, but I can't determine which one.'

At this point, Max had lost his interest. Sure, the book was an interesting object. But he wasn't in the mood for that now. So he walked up to Isabelle while Alec, Clary, and Rafael followed Magnus to the magical objects he brought and asked her to train with him.

'Are you sure?' She asked. 'You seemed pretty tired after the fight.'

'I have a lot of stamina. I'm not tired', Max lied. About the tiredness part, not the stamina. 'Come on! I'll give you a fight that's worth your time.'

Isabelle thought about it for a moment but agreed nevertheless.

It was hard work, training with Isabelle. She was older, stronger, and way more experienced. But that doesn't mean that Max didn't put up a fight. When Max finally got knocked onto his ass and lost the fight, Max came to him and asked for a rematch. No doubt feeling more confident in his chances of winning now that Max had fought two fights against strong opponents.

Max was too tired for another intense battle, so he suggested that he could teach the younger boy a couple of useful tricks and techniques he knew. Maxwell agreed and soon, Max was showing a couple of stances and giving the shadowhunter tips while they practiced with the swords. Isabelle would occasionally step in and give tips of her own.

The boys were having fun until Maryse came. Max and Max were trying out a move that Isabelle had just taught them. Max managed to block a blow from Maxwell and went into the offense immediate after, knocking the younger boy down.

'What is the meaning of this?' A stern female voice demanded. Max turned to see a stone faced Maryse walking up to them.

'Mom.' Isabelle's smile fell. 'The boys were just training.'

'Training?' Maryse asked, there was something cold behind her voice.

'Yeah!' Maxwell confirmed enthusiastically. 'Max is really good at swordfighting. He's even taught me some cool tricks!'

The disgust was clearly shown on Maryse's face. Max cringed and averted his eyes. 'Warlocks shouldn't be acting like shadowhunters,' Maryse spat, 'let alone train like one.'

'He's not-' Maxwell tried to defend Max, but Maryse cut him off.

'Go and clean up before dinner, Max', Maryse told her son. Her voice was softer than the one she used a moment ago.

'But-'

'Maxwell Joseph Lightwood, don't argue with me on this.'

'Yes, mom.' Maxwell had no choice but to obey his mother. He gave Max one last look before heading off.

Maryse turned her attention back to Isabelle when Max disappeared into the hallway.

'I told you to keep an eye on the boys, not to train with one of them while the letting the other wonder around the Institute.' Maryse scolded. Isabelle rolled her eyes.

'What did I tell you about disrupting the natural order?' Maryse hissed. ' _What were you thinking, letting a downworlder train with your brother._ '

' _Mom!_ ' Isabelle gasped. she put a protective hand on Max' shoulder. 'He's right here, you know.'

The words Maryse spoke were sharp as knives and hit Max like blows. Max was close to tears and couldn't breathe. The woman in front of him looked and sounded like his grandmother, but was an entirely different person. This wasn't the grandma that praised him for his skills, she's not the one that gave him his first seraph blade when she found out that Rafael en he were using the alliance rune in training and battle. It hurt, it really did. But no matter how he felt right now, Max knew that he couldn't show weakness in times like this. So he forced himself to puff his chest and hold his head up high. He forced himself to act like her words didn't affect him even if they stuck to him like glue and pierced his heart like thousands of needles. But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't look her in the eyes. Max knew that the tears would fall if he did.

'Who made this mess in the training room anyway?' Maryse asked as if she didn't just make an incredibly racist remark. 'Why is it wet?'

Max swallowed and hid his trembling hands behind his back. _If you look confident…. confident…_ But what was he supposed to do when he couldn't do it? No one had ever taught him that!

'I've got it,' a familiar voice said. Max' eyes shot towards the warlocks who stood at the top of the stairs. With a snap of his fingers, Magnus reverted the room back to the way it was before Max and Rafael had trained.

'Max, go get your stuff,' Magnus told him with a smile, 'we're leaving soon.'

.

.

.

Magnus was not having the best day: his friend almost died, he embarrassed himself in front of a bunch of shadowhunters, and he just found out that the book he needed was in possession of his (crazy) vampire ex. Not the best day was actually quite an understatement now he thought about it.

Magnus left Alec, Clary, and Rafael behind to look at the other magical objects he brought with him and made his way back to the training room where Max was. The boy looked pretty upset when Magnus told him that he'd 'think about it'. The kid was no fool, he knew that it meant 'no'.

He frowned when he saw the youngest Lightwood sibling -he only recognized him because Rafael told him in detail about how Max managed to beat the kid in ten seconds- looking worried and conflicted as he passed. He soon found out why. Magnus overheard every single word that Maryse and Isabelle exchanged. And the way that Maryse spoke about Max, and downworlders, in general, made Magnus' blood boil.

The trio didn't seem to notice him as he arrived at the training room. Magnus used this advantage to study Max. The kid stood with his head held high as his faced the woman in front of him.

Magnus knew that the younger warlock was quite good at putting up a show to get what he wanted, Magnus almost fell for it himself earlier. That's why he suspected that his confidence was probably an act too. His posture might've been convincing, but his eyes and trembling hands gave it away.

Magnus wondered whether this was the real reason why Max kept insisting that he wanted to stay at his apartment. Max was a good kid, he'd even saved Ragnor's life. He didn't deserve this racist shit. So when Maryse asked for an explanation on why the training room was a mess, he cleaned it without a second thought and told Max to get his stuff. It was the least he could do for him.

.

.

.

'Really?' Max stared at Magnus in disbelief. 'But you said-'

'I said that I'd think about it,' Magnus told Max. 'And I did. Now go get your brother and pack everything you need.'

Max' face lit up, and he tacked Magnus into a hug. But then he remembered something. 'But I don't have anything to pack', he said.

Magnus smiled and ruffled Magnus' hair. 'Then go get your brother,' Magnus told him. 'He's with Alec and Clary. They're looking at the magical objects I brought.'

Max nodded eagerly and ran off.

.

.

.

'What do you think you're doing,' Maryse asked coldly. 'You can't take the boys away. They're under supervision until we find a way to send them back.'

'Yes, and I'm the one responsible to find that solution,' Magnus responded calmly. 'It'll go a lot smoother if the boys are present, and I'm surrounded by the books in my study.'

'You can bring those books with you', Maryse sneered. 'There's absolutely no reason for you to bring those boys with you. I _won't_ allow it.'

'But what if one of us also stays with Magnus?' Isabelle chimed in with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Both Magnus and Maryse were shocked by this idea.

'Absolutely not!' Maryse and Magnus objected. Magnus might not agree with the head of the New York Institute often -wait, screw that. He never agrees with her- but at least they agreed on this matter.

But then Isabelle started to whisper her wicket ideas into Maryse's ear. Magnus overheard fractions of sentences and words like ' _out of the institute_ ', ' _wedding preparations_ ', and ' _spy_ '. So Magnus figured that it went along the lines of that the kids would be out of the institute so that they wouldn't stand in the way of the wedding preparations, and that someone could spy on him and report back to Maryse. Allowing the boys to stay was one thing, letting a spying shadowhunter bastard into his house was something entirely else.

Maryse seemed to consider this idea. 'And who are you suggesting, Izzy?' Maryse asked. 'Not yourself, I suppose.'

'Of course not,' Isabelle answered. 'I couldn't even if I wanted. I promised Lydia that I'd help her with some of the preparations tomorrow.' _It was a lie_ , Magnus could see it in her eyes and her smile. 'I was actually going to suggest Alec. He's absolutely useless when it comes to weddings and wedding preparations. Unless you'd want him to marry in a black t-shirt and worn out jeans. Plus the kids seem to trust him. I'd say that he's the perfect choice.' Maryse and Isabelle started to discuss the matter without asking Magnus' consent.

Magnus was quite conflicted on the matter himself. He wanted to spend time with Alec, and maybe talk him out of his stupid and impulsive decision to marry Lydia. But on the other hand, if things went south and it became awkward between the two of them, they'd be stuck together, and would only make things worse.

Before Magnus could even voice his thoughts on the matter, Alec walked in with Clary and two very excited boys.

'Alec, you'll also be staying at Magnus' apartment to keep an eye on the kids.' Marse declared. _and also on Magnus._ But the words went unspoken.

'Wait WHAT?' Alec exclaimed. Alec was shocked by his mother's sudden decision. The boys, however, were overjoyed.

'Go pack your stuff, Alec', Maryse ordered. 'You be staying there until further notice.'

'W-wait a minute!' Alec sputtered.

'My decision is final', Maryse decreed. 'I do expect you to check in with me every day around noon. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a traitor to interrogate.' She walked away before Alec could argue.

'You heard her, big brother,' Isabelle said sweetly, 'go pack your stuff.' Magnus could've sworn that Isabelle high-fived the boys when Maryse informed Alec about her decision. He made a mental note to remember this. He would either be thanking or hexing her later.

Isabelle dragged her stunned brother off with her. Within fifteen minutes, they returned to the living room. A duffle bag laid at Alec's feet. Magnus snapped his fingers and sent the bag to his guest room.

When they said their goodbyes, Magnus had a strange feeling that the Clary, Izzy, and the boys were on to something. He decided to ignore it, he had enough to worry about: two kids and his crush staying at his house? He sighed as he mentally prepared himself.

'Why don't we walk back to the apartment?' Magnus suggested. 'A bit of fresh air can't hurt.'


	12. Chapter XII

Alec was convinced that this was a dream. Or a nightmare, he couldn't decide which. No way he'd just been ordered to stay at Magnus' loft until further notice. How long was that even supposed to be? A day? A week? A month, or even a year?! You're being overdramatic, Alec scolded himself. It's only until we find a way to bring the boys home. However long that may take. But the main reason why he was convinced that he was dreaming, was because it was his mother, his downworld hating mother, who sent him on this 'mission'. Sure he knew that the real reason why his mother sent him was to get Max out of the institute and to spy on Magnus. She'd only chosen him because she knew that he'd report back to her like the obedient little soldier she raised him to be. But there's one thing that she didn't -and couldn't- take into account when she made the decision: the fact that he, her obedient pawn, was gay and had a huge crush on the warlock he was supposed to spy on. His mother would've locked him up until the wedding instead of pushing him into Magnus' arms if she knew.

How was Alec supposed to spy on Magnus' every movement when he couldn't even look at him without his repressed feelings coming back at him in full force? He's been in a constant battle between kissing Magnus senseless and jumping out of the nearest window every time they're in the same room. He can't be with Magnus. He can't be selfish. He can't put himself first and lose the Institute.

He snapped out of his thought when he felt someone tug at the ends of his shirt. He looked down and saw a very tired looking Max staring at him. 'I'm tired,' Max said quietly as he rubbed his left eye sleepily with his hand, 'carry me?' Max stretched his arm out at Alec. Alec was quite surprised by this. How could this kid trust his so much? They've only known each other for about a day, not counting the time Max and Rafael laid wounded in the infirmary. Perhaps they were close to the Alec in their world. It made him wonder what their relationship was in the other dimension.

Instead of picking the small warlock up, Alec bent down on his knees to give Max a piggy back ride. Max climbed onto his back and rested his head on Alec's shoulder blade, he was asleep within seconds. Alec felt a smile creep onto his face, just by carrying this small and innocent child made him feel all warm inside. When he looked ahead, he could see Rafael and Magnus talking. Alec couldn't hear what they said, but judging by Rafael's swinging arms while he talked to Magnus, it must've been something he was very passionate about. Right then, Alec made a promise to himself to protect both Max and Rafael and not to let any harm come to them as long as they're still in his universe.

When they were almost at Magnus' apartment building, Rafael suggested that they'd go for Taki's takeout for dinner.

'Taki's?' Alec asked. 'What's that?'

Rafael looked at him in disbelief. 'You don't have Taki's?!' He exclaimed. 'What kind of hell is this?'

'Shh!' Alec shushed. 'You'll wake your brother up.' He looked over his shoulder to check on the sleeping child on his back.

'Don't worry, he sleeps like the dead,' Rafael assured him. 'But more importantly: What do you mean, you don't have Taki's? It's like the best restaurant in New York!'

'Well, I'm sorry, but I have never heard of a restaurant called Taki's,' Magnus said, 'and I've been around for quite some time now. We'll have to find something else to eat.'

'How about the Jade wolf?' Rafael asked, there was a hint of desperation in his voice. 'Please tell me that you have werewolf Chinese food.'

Magnus chuckled. 'Yes, we have werewolf Chinese food here.'

'Oh thank God!' Rafael breathed. 'I was starting to worry about what kind of hell hole I ended up. But seriously, no Taki's? No wonder people are so racist here.' Now Alec was starting to become curious about this special restaurant that could cure racism. He decided that he'll ask Rafael about it later as they'd just arrived at Magnus' loft.

Alec suggested that he'd go and buy dinner.

'Are you sure?' Magnus asked. 'We could just have them deliver it.'

'I'm sure,' Alec answered. 'And besides, I haven't had my evening run yet.' An obvious and poorly told lie, but Alec needed a little while longer before being stuck in the same place as Magnus Bane. He lowered himself so Magnus could take Max into his arms and made sure that Magnus wasn't going to drop the sleeping boy before turning around and head off to The Jade Wolf.

.

.

.

Magnus carried Max up the stairs, Rafael behind him. The climb up the stairs seemed to have awoken Max, so when Magnus tried to lie the boy down on the couch, Max clung onto him like a sloth, refusing to be put down. A half asleep Max, Magnus noted, was very clingy.

'Max,' Magnus said gently, 'you have to let go of me so I can add another bedroom for you to stay in.'

'Hmmm,' Max hummed in protest, his grip tightened. Magnus sent Rafael a look, silently asking him for help. But the Boy had settled himself onto Magnus' armchair and was playing on a tablet. After a couple of failed attempts to get Max to let go, Rafael seemed to have taken pity on him and said: 'He needs something or someone to cuddle when he's like this, it doesn't matter what or who. Just shove the Chairman into his arm and he'll let you go.' That how Magnus found himself searching his loft for his cat with a child in his arms. When he finally found the Chairman, Magnus picked him up and held him in one arm while holding Max up with the other. After a skillful switcharoo, Magnus had finally freed himself from the clutches of a sleepy ten-year old. His cat, however, was less pleased with the situation. But Magnus did promise to give the Chairman all of his favorite treats when this was all over so Magnus didn't feel too guilty about it. It was only when Magnus had escaped into the hallway that a certain question hit him. _Why are the boys so familiar with my cat?_

Magnus decided that he'd think about that later. He had a certain shadowhunter to impress, and he didn't have much until that shadowhunter comes back, so he went to work quickly. While he worked, he could hear some ridiculous cartoon playing on the TV. One of the boys must've turned it on. The room was done within a couple of minutes. There was now a new door at the end of his hallway, with a sign on it that read: Rafael and Max. Magnus stepped inside the room, ready to start decorating it when a sudden cry almost caused him to have a heart attack.

'MAGNUS!' Max cried from the living room. Magnus rushed to the boys, ready to attack any intruder that might've caused the boy's cry for help. _Did a demon get past my wards like they did at Ragnor's?_ Magnus thought in panic.

'What happened?!' He demanded as he came to a halt, his eyes scanning the room for threats.

'Rafael won't let me watch my cartoon!' Max whined.

Wait, what?

'I was here first!' Max continued, trying to pry the remote out of Rafael's hands.

'You've seen that episode three times already!' Rafael asserted, stretching the arm that held the remote, keeping it out of Max' reach.

'No I haven't!' Max climbed on top of Rafael, reaching for the remote.

'You have! Now shut up, I'm watching project runway!' Rafael shoved Max off him forcefully.

'I DON'T WANT TO SEE IT! I WAS HERE FIRST!' Max screeched. He punched Rafael in the chest.

'AU!' Rafael returned the punch. The two of them started to fight. Finally, Max seemed to have recovered from his shock and pulled the two boys apart. 'Enough! Both of you!' The boys quieted down after Magnus' outburst.

'Rafael,' Magnus said after calming himself, 'your brother was watching.'

'But-'

'No buts! And besides, this episode's a rerun from yesterday's episode. I have it recorded, you can watch it later.'

'Okay, fine!' Rafael groaned. He gave the remote to Max, and he stalked back to the armchair with his tablet.

'Thank you!' Max gave a Magnus a hug before returning his focus to the TV.

Magnus made his way back to the new guest room and sighed. _What had he gotten himself into?_

.

.

.

Magnus conjured a king sized bed in the middle of the room, it was big enough for the boys to share. feeling that he deserved a break, he sat down on the bed and pulled his phone out. Catarina picked up immediately.

'Hey Magnus', Catarina greeted. 'Ragnor's doing fine if that why you called. I gave him a sleeping draught some time ago so he's sleeping soundly.'

'Oh! Yes, it's good to hear that.'

'You forgot about Ragnor, didn't you?' Catarina asked with a sigh. 'Why did you call?'

'Please don't tell Ragnor that', Magnus pleaded. 'I'll never hear the end of it.'

'I'll think about it. Just tell me the reason you called.'

Magnus sighed. 'I need your help.'

'You always do,' Catarina said flatly.

Magnus decided to ignore her comment. 'You raised a kid, didn't you?'

'Yeah, wh-'

'How did you do it? The one moment they're playing together and acting like the other is the most precious thing in the world, and then they're suddenly screaming and punching each other for the remote control. The. Fucking. Remote. Control. Is that even worth a homicide? What's going on? How am I going to keep them from murdering each other?' Magnus was rambling in panic. 'I forget to feed the Chairman sometimes, I'm not responsible enough-'

'Jezus, Magnus! Calm. Down.' Catarina interrupted. 'Tell me what's going on and why there are two kids in your loft.' Magnus took a deep breath and started explaining how he managed to take in two kids and a shadowhunter. When he finished, Magnus could hear Catarina sigh in exasperation over the telephone.

'Oke, first of all, I raised one kid,' Catarina said. 'One, not two. And he was an angel, sweetest kid I know. He didn't have anyone to fight with at home. Secondly, it's perfectly normal for siblings to want to strangle each other over the smallest things. It's just how siblings work, trust me, no one will die.'

'Can't you come help me out?' Magnus pleaded. 'I have no idea what I'm doing.'

'Isn't that shadowhunter boy supposed to help you?' Catarina asked.

'His name is Alexander,' Magnus told Catarina, 'and he's out buying dinner. So I'm stuck here with two kids and an angry cat. HELP!'

'Okay, okay, I'll drop by tomorrow morning if you haven't burned your house down by that time', Catarina promised.

'But I need you _now_! Cat, you can't do this to me!'

'You did this to yourself,' Catarina reminded him, 'suffer the consequences. I can't leave now, or do you want me to leave your very much wounded and unconscious friend behind with no one to take care of him?'

Magnus was just about to argue that Ragnor could do alright without her when someone rang the doorbell. 'See,' Catarina said, 'your boyfriend's back. You'll manage.' She hung up without another word. Magnus used a couple of excessive curse words that he'd learned over the years before making his way to the intercom.

The boys beat him to the intercom. They turned when they saw Magnus arrive. 'Can we?' Max asked sweetly. Magnus waved his hand in a 'go ahead' manner before crossing his arms and leaning on the wall, anticipating what the boys were going to do.

Rafael pressed the speech button on the intercom and started to count down softly. 'One, two… WHO DARES DISTURB THE HIGH WARLOCK OF BROOKLYN!' The boys bellowed in unison. Magnus almost fell over.

'Eeh…' Was all that came from the other side of the intercom.

'You'd better not be one of Jehovah's Witnesses,' Max threatened.

'No! It's Alec!' Alec quickly replied. 'The Witnesses are still a couple of houses away, but I think that they heard your screaming. One of has his eyes fixed on me. Please let me up, I think he's coming over to me.'

The boys were a giggling mess on the ground and Magnus couldn't contain his laughter himself.

'Guys, he's power walking right now. Please open up!' Alec pleaded over the intercom. Still laughing, Magnus managed to push the 'open' button to let the poor shadowhunter up. A moment later, the door opened and Alec walked in with two plastic bags in his hands.

'Thanks for opening the door so quickly,' Alec said sarcastically. But he soon joined in with their laughter when he saw the two boys on the ground, laughing and unable to get up.

 _Maybe this won't be that terrible after all._


	13. Chapter XIII

'So, does the Werewolf Chinese here taste different than in your universe?' Magnus asked as they sat around the dining table, enjoying the takeout Alec brought.

'A bit', Rafael said, taking another bite of his orange chicken. 'Ours taste better.'

'Of course it does', Magnus said, shaking his head with a fond smile.

'It tastes exactly the same', Max stated as he tried -and failed- to pick up rice with his chopsticks.

'No,' Rafael disagreed, 'ours taste better.'

'Do you even know what you're talking about? How is this different the Chinese food back home?' Max asked.

'It's made with less love, I can taste it', Rafael said with a serious face.

'What does that even mean?!' Max slammed his chopsticks on the table in frustration and grabbed a spoon. He was clearly irritated at both his brother and his inability to use the chopsticks.

Sensing an upcoming argument that would no doubt end in more frustration, Alec quickly diverted the subject by asking about the mysterious racism solving restaurant called Taki's. 'Rafael,' Alec coughed, catching the boy's attention. 'You mentioned a restaurant earlier, Taki's, I think. You said that it explained the racism in our universe. Would you like to explain why?'

A bright smile appeared on Rafael's face. 'Taki's is not just an ordinary diner, you see,' Rafael explained enthusiastically, 'it's the best, and I mean the best diner in New York.' Alec looked at Max for confirmation and saw Max nodding in agreement. 'It's open 24/7 and they have the widest range of food and dishes on the menu.'

'Obviously', Max said, rolling his eyes. 'You can't expect the vampires to eat the same things as fairies.'

'That's true', Rafael agreed.

'Wait, so it's a restaurant where different species of downworlders come to eat?' Alec asked, trying to comprehend the range of customers of the diner.

'No,' Rafael said with a laugh as if it was the most ridiculous thing. 'It's a place where Shadowhunters, downworlders and mundanes alike come together and enjoy the most divine meal there is. Taki's is open to everybody, you shouldn't deprive anyone of the heavenly bliss you feel after every bite.'

'Okay, that's enough, you're exaggerating it.' Max interrupted before Rafael could start spewing nonsense again. 'I apologize for my brother, he's quite the drama queen. It's something he picked up from our papa.' Alec could've sworn that Max' eyes flickered towards Magnus when he said that. 'But anyway,' Max continued, 'the food is really good, no doubt, but the feeling of heavenly bliss after every bite is a bit far stretched. Though it will bring you a step closer to heaven if you order off the wrong side of the menu.'

….

'So it's a place where everyone, no matter the species, can go to enjoy a good meal.' Magnus summarised.

'Or just to hang out and get a drink and some cake', Rafael added. 'They have the best cheesecake at Taki's. I've literally heard someone moan when they took their first bite.'

'That was you', Max deadpanned.

'N-no, I-' Rafael stuttered, his face reddening in embarrassment.

Alec lost it, just watching the boys banter and embarrassing each other -or themselves in Rafael's case- was just so amusing, that he couldn't hold in his laughter. It didn't take long for Magnus to join in, and the boys followed soon after. Alec couldn't remember a dinner that made him lose it like this, especially not without Izzy and Jace. In that moment, he felt free and young, the way he should for someone his age. Alec heard Magnus laughing freely beside him, his warm laughter sounded Like Music to his ears. Magnus' composure was relaxed, and so different from his usual guarded one.

How many others have had the chance to see him like this? Alec wondered. To how many others has he let down his guard and shown his true self? The amount of people couldn't have been that high, and Alec doubted that there was a shadowhunter who had the chance to see this wonderful side if Magnus. Just the thought the first shadowhunter, the one who was special enough for Magnus to show him who he really was made his insides all warm and tingly. It was a sensation that Alec couldn't quite place，but it was a pleasant one. Across the table, the boys were giggling and Alec could see tears of laughter rolling down Max' cheeks.

Right there and then, at the dining table, surrounded by laughter and joy, Alec couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to come home to this every day: a loving partner, and two enthusiastic little boys to raise. A perfect little family. One that he'd hope to have someday. A little voice at the back of his head told him that he should make this moment his reality. That he should take this moment of happiness and run with it. Just blow off the wedding and stay here forever. But another voice, his voice of reason reminded him of his family, his siblings, and what it would cost them if he was selfish.  
Alec pushed both voices back, deciding that he should just enjoy this moment while it last, and not to worry about anything else.

Eventually, the laughter subdued. But the bright smiles still rested on their faces. 'so, what you're saying is that Taki's is a place where people can relax, have fun and it's open for everyone, at any time,' Magnus summarized. There was a longing look in his eyes. 'I wish we had a place like that', he sighed.

'We do', Alec reminded him. 'Your club.'

'You have a club?' Max asked, his eyes wide with bewilderment. 'What Kind of club is it?' The boy started to fire off ... Before Magnus could even answer. 'Is it a book club where you also bake cookies? Oh! Is it a golf club? WAIT! Is it a country club where rich, snobby people hang out to talk about how rich they are?'

'Bet it's a strip club', Rafael muttered. It was no doubt meant to go unheard under Max' ranting. But unfortunately, Max ran out of ideas before Rafael opened his mouth so his comment was heard loud and clear by everyone.

Alec chocked on his rice and Magnus almost spit out his red wine. 'What's a strip club?' Max asked. Moments like these reminded Alec that no matter how grown up Max sometimes behaved, he was still just a kid.

'uuh..' Rafael clearly wasn't expecting this outcome. Alec shot the boy a look, telling him to come up with something. 'Well eeh, a strip club is eeh... Comics! Yeah! A strip club is a place where people come together and talk about comics, cause 'strip' is the Dutch word for comics and Magnus is part Dutch so, eh, yeah. I think that he has a stri- eh, comic book club.' Rafael let out a breath, relieved that he managed to dodge that bullet.

Alec turned to Magnus, eyes wide. 'You're part Dutch?' he asked in surprise.

'Yes, I am,' Magnus answered, taking a sip of his wine. 'It's the reason I'm tall. Dutch men are considered the tallest in the world, you know.'

'Really?' Alec asked with a smug grin. 'Then how come I'm taller than you?'

'I'm only part Dutch, Alexander,' Magnus snapped, 'No need to get cocky.'

'You know, in our universe, Magnus is taller than Alec,' Rafael said.

'*Really?' There was a playful glint in Magnus'eyes, paired with a mischievous smile. Alec's heart skipped a beat.

'Yeah,' Rafael said nonchalantly, 'but there's only like a 0.2 feet difference.'

Alec coughed and looked away from Magnus. 'That's strangely specific,' Alec noted.

'Anyway,' Max interrupted. 'Do you have a strip club?'

Magnus choked on his wine. 'No, I do not own a comic club', Magnus answered. 'I own a nightclub.'

So it is a strip club. Rafael mouthed. Both Alec and Magnus decided to ignore him.

'What's a nightclub?' Max asked.

'Well Max, it's a place where people go dancing, drink and have a good time together', Magnus explained. 'Speaking of it, I just remembered that I was supposed to go over and take a look at the financials today.'

'Can we go with you? Pleeaase?' Rafael pleaded. 'I've never been to a club before, please let us go with you. Or just me, Max can stay behind with Alec. Pleeeeaaaase?'

'No, and my decision's final.' Magnus declared. 'It's too dangerous. I'll just ask Raphael to go in my place and report everything back to me.'

'Who's Raphael and why does he have my name,' Rafael asked.

'He's a friend of Mine', Magnus answered. 'And he's older than you, so technically, you have his name.'

Rafael frowned, but said nothing more and returned his focus to the Plate in front of him.

Alec and Magnus shared a look but decided that it was nothing and continued eating their dinner.

After dinner, Alec and the kids cleaned the table while Magnus went to the living room to call Raphael. It didn't take them long to clean, and the boys decided to prepare for stage two of their plan.

But just before they left the kitchen, they heard Alec mumble to himself, a habit that their father also had. '...Need to call Lydia later, promised her to help with...'

They couldn't let Alec call Lydia, it could mess up their plan. The boys shared a look and nodded, understanding what must be done.

Rafael left first, and Max stayed behind, poured a cup of water for himself, and waited for Alec to finish up and head to his room.

When he did, Max followed him to the guest room and climbed onto his bed. 'What are you doing here?' Alec asked.

'Just watching you,' Max answered honestly.

'I see that,' Alec said. 'But why?'

'Cause I'm bored,' Max answered.

'Why don't you go find your brother?' Alec suggested. 'I'm not going to do anything fun here. I'm just going to unpack my stuff and call Lydia.'

'Why don't you call her now?' Max suggested. 'I want to say hi to her. Besides, Rafael's probably taking a dump right now, so it'll take some time before he's done.'

Alec seemed to hesitate for a moment but pulled out his phone. 'Okay,' he agreed. Alec sat down next to Max on the bed, making it able for Max see his pin code. Just when Alec hit dial and put it on speaker, Max muttered a spell under his breath. All they could hear was now static noise.

'That's odd,' Alec frowned, and dialed again, but it didn't work either. 'What's happening?'

'Perhaps it's being interfered by magic', Max lied. 'Magic and technology don't go well together. I think that I saw a potion brewing in Magnus' study. That could be the cause.'

Alec sighed. 'I guess I'll just help her when I'm at the institute tomorrow', he said. Alec grabbed the duffle bag from the other side of the bed. 'Want to help me unpack?' He asked.

'Nah', Max replied. His job was done. He needed to go help out his brother.

'Wait!' Alec called when Max stood at the door. 'How come Magnus can still call Raphael?'

Max turned around and shrugged. 'I don't know, I'm only ten years old.'

.

.

.

'Okay, all set up.' Rafael brushed the dust off his hands and stood up from where he kneeled in front of the bathroom door. 'Good job.' The boys high-fived and made their way to the living room, where Magnus sat on the couch reading a book.

Max sat down on the couch next to Magnus and pulled the Chairman onto his lap. Rafael sat down in the armchair and played with his tablet.

'What are you reading?' Max asked while he stroked the chairman softly.

'A book about dimensional Magic that I took from Ragnor's house', Magnus answered, showing the cover to Max.

'Will it help us get home?' Max asked, softer this time.

Magnus sighed. 'I don't know,' he answered honestly, 'but I'll do my best to find a way.'  
Max nodded but didn't say anything.

Magnus closed the book and placed it on the glass coffee table. 'That's enough for the day', he declared. 'Why don't we go and decorate your room?' Max nodded eagerly, he'd always loved to help his father redecorate.

Magnus stood up and lifted the cat off Max' lap. The chairman glared at Magnus, agitated by being disturbed when he was enjoying the attention. 'Come on,' Magnus said, 'there's still a lot to be done.'

.

'There's really a lot to be done', Rafael commented when he stepped into the room. 'You didn't do anything.'

'Excuse me?' Magnus said, sounding offended. 'I literally conjured a room, and a bed.'

'Okay', Rafael said, sounding unimpressed.

'Anyway,' Magnus said, ignoring Rafael's comment, 'There's a bed big enough for both of you. What else do you need?'

'A flat-screen TV, Jacuzzi, and a catwalk', Raphael listed. 'Oh! And some clothes, or else the catwalk would be useless.'

'Yes', Max agreed. 'And a disco ball.'

Magnus almost snorted at their ridiculous demands. 'I don't know what you guys are used to, but I'm not doing that. There's a working TV in the living room if I place one here, you guys won't sleep at night. As for the Jacuzzi and catwalk, I think that the answer to that is an obvious one.'

'What about the disco ball?' Max asked hopefully.

Magnus snapped his hand and string lights shaped as tiny disco balls appeared above the bed. 'I think these will do.'

'Yay!' Max cheered and climbed into the bed to have a better look at the lights.

'How come he gets what he wants?' Rafael pouted.

Magnus sighed. 'Okay, you can choose one thing. But it has to be reasonable, get it?'

Rafael nodded and thought about what he wanted for a moment. 'I want a bookcase with comic books', Rafael decided.

Magnus nodded. That's something he can do. 'Okay', he agreed. A second later, a bookcase appeared next to the window. Magnus looked at it for a second and frowned. With another snap of his fingers, a window seat appeared, creating a space where Rafael could read his comic books with a view of the neighborhood.

'Cool!' Rafael awed. He rushed to the window seat, jumped onto the cushions, and pressed his face to the window. Magnus smiled as he looked at the boys, an odd sense of peace washed over him.

'Okay,' Magnus said, as he clasped his hands, 'I think that you guys are in need of some new clothes.'

'Are we going shopping?' Max asked with an excited glint in his eyes.

'No,' Magnus chuckled, 'we don't need to do that. Besides, it's late and the stores are closed.'

Magnus made his way to the bed. 'C'mere.' He gestured for Max to come closer. 'Hmmmmm.' Magnus took a good look at Max length and body built. He snapped his finger and Max was suddenly wearing a black t-shirt with cat prints, and blue jeans. 'These will do perfectly', Magnus said, examining his choice.

'Did you pay for these?' Max asked, looking down at his new clothes. 'Daddy says that we can't conjure things without paying for them because it'll be stealing.'

'Well, your daddy isn't here, so it's all right.' Too late, did Magnus realize what he said. Shit! He thought. The last thing he needed now was homesick children crying for their parents. 'I didn't mean it that way,' Magnus said hastily. 'I eh, left money in the register of the store.' And obvious lie. 'So you don't need to feel guilty. Crap, did I upset you?'

Max shook his head. 'Don't worry, I won't start crying-' Mentally, Magnus let out a breath of relief- 'I don't feel that homesick, not anymore.'

Magnus gave Max a smile and pulled the boy closer. He couldn't resist the temptation to ruffle the little Warlock's hair, so he did. Max made a sound of protest but didn't try to escape.

'So, I think it's your brother's turn to get new clothes,' Magnus whispered to Max. 'What do you think he should wear?' Giggling, Max whispered his suggestion into Magnus' ear.

Magnus snapped his fingers and Rafael -who had taken a comic book from the bookcase and was reading it on the window seat- was suddenly wearing a Spiderman outfit. Rafael jumped in surprise by the sudden change of his outfit. He put down his Comic book and looked down at his outfit. His face lit up upon seeing that he was wearing the suit of the superhero from the comic book he was reading.

'I'M SPIDERMAN! WHOO!' Rafael jumped up and started running around the room, doing summersaults and back flips. Being a shadowhunter has its benefits, Magnus thought.

'I want to be a superhero too!' Max said eagerly, jumping up and down on the bed.

'Which superhero do you want to be?' Magnus asked chuckling.

'BATMAN!' Max shouted. A second later, there were two superheroes running around the room.

.

It didn't take long for them to tire. After ten minutes of playing hyperactive superheroes, the two kids laid down on the bed, panting.

'Okay, time to change', Magnus said, smiling down at the boys. 'You guys need some real clothes.'

'Can I at least have a Spiderman pajama?' Rafael asked, still breathing hard.

'Sure', Magnus agreed, 'you can have superhero pajamas.'

Magnus conjured the pajamas, along with a batman t-shirt for Max. Spiderman and Star wars t-shirts for Raf. He also conjured some boxers, socks, and sneakers for the boys. Magnus tried to talk the boys into changing into normal clothes, but they both refused to.

Magnus sighed as he laid onto the bed beside the boys. 'Black and blue,' he said, looking at Max, 'my favorite combination.'

'There's someone I know who fits that description', Rafael said, looking up at the ceiling. 'Someone back home with black hair and blue eyes.' He sighed. 'But for some reason, his alternative here has hazel eyes.'

'Everyone changed a bit,' Max sighed. 'Jace, Alec, gra- Maryse.'

Magnus wondered whether he should continue to listen to these private thoughts of the boys. But he was curious, and every piece of extra information about the boys could help him paint a better picture of who these kids really are.

'And who the hell even is this Lydia Branwell?' Rafael grunted. 'I thought that the Branwell line went extinct like a century ago.'

'And why does he has to marry her?' Max huffed exasperatedly.

'He's only marrying her because he doesn't want to lose the institute', Rafael scoffed.

'WHAT?!' Both Max and Magnus shot right up, staring at Rafael.

'What do you mean they'll lose the institute?' Max asked, concerned. 'The New York Institute belongs to the Lightwoods!'

'No, the institute belongs to the Clave', Rafael reminded Max. 'Just like every other institute in the world. The Lightwoods were assigned to the New York Institute by the Clave, and the Clave can strip the leader of the Institute of their position and give it to another shadowhunter if necessary.'

'How did you get this information?' Magnus asked. His mind was racing. When Alec told him that he was engaged to Lydia, he said that it was because he loved her. Magnus saw through the lie with ease but was left wondering why Alec really rejected him. Everything made sense after he heard this piece of information. Alexander, the selfless shadowhunter he fell for, would've been to sacrifice himself and his happiness if it meant that his siblings wouldn't have to.

Rafael sat up and pulled a pillow to his chest. 'I hacked into the Institute's server with my tablet and looked around', Rafael said, as if it's what every teenage kid did. 'What?' Rafael asked upon noticing Max and Magnus' stares. 'Ty taught me a couple of things about computers.'

Magnus didn't know who this Ty person was, but apparently, they were able to teach Rafael how to hack into one of the most secure servers in the world.

Before Magnus could ask for Rafael to elaborate, the doorbell rang and Magnus had to go and open the door.

The kids followed him. Having changed onto a lighter subject: superheroes. As they made their way to the intercom, Magnus could hear the boys debate about who would win in a fight: Captain America or Jace. Magnus was amused by both their choice of argument and fighters. He was a bit hesitant to avert his attention to the intercom but did it nevertheless.

He was greeted by a grumpy sounding Raphael over the intercom, and later by an equally grumpy looking Raphael at the door. Raphael was accompanied by the vampire turned mundane friend of Clary, much to Magnus' dismay. And before Magnus could ask Raphael about it, the vampire looked him in the eye and said: 'He said that he wanted to come with, and at this point, I couldn't care less what he does.'

Magnus turned to take a look at the uninvited guest and saw that the boys were getting along quite well with Samuel. Or Sebastian. Magnus couldn't bother to remember his name. He turned around again and gestured for Rafael to follow him into his study to discuss the finances.

.  
Max was just about to argue that Jace would do everything to win the fight if necessary, but Captain America, with his strong sense of Justice, pride, and honesty, wouldn't resort to playing dirty, when he saw Simon standing at the doorway next to a stranger. Max rushed over to Simon and pull him over to where Rafael stood. Simon yelped in surprise.

'Uncl- eh, Simon,' Max coughed, nearly forgetting their cover in his excitement. 'Who do you think would win in a fight: Captain America or Jace?'

'Eeh..How do you know my name?' Simon asked, seeming a bit distressed.

'It doesn't matter,' Rafael snapped impatiently. 'Just answer the question.'

'Okay, okay!' Simon seemed to think about the question. 'Captain America', he answered. 'No matter how strong or powerful Jace may think he is, he can't beat Captain America.'

'Jace can't beat who?' Alec was walking towards them, no doubt checking out what was going on.

Simon's eyes widened in surprise. 'What are you doing here?' He asked.

Alec frowned upon seeing Simon. 'What are you doing here?'

'I asked you first.'

Alec crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at Simon. It didn't take before Simon gave in under Alec's glare. 'I came here with Raphael', Simon told Alec. 'You?'

Alec nudged his head towards where Max and Rafael stood. 'Babysitting.'

'At Magnus' loft?' Simon asked, not understanding the situation.

'It's none of your business', Alec said coldly. It made Max wonder how the relationship is between Alec and Simon. They didn't really seem to be on too friendly terms, much less future brothers in law. Max must've zoned out for a moment because Rafael was suddenly running back to their room while yelling for them to wait. He came back with a comic book in his hand and handed it over to Alec.

'This is Captain America', Rafael told Alec, pointing at the superhero drawn on the cover. 'We were debating whether Jace would win the fight against him.'

'He was a soldier in the Second World War and got injected with a super serum', Max added enthusiastically. 'And then he turned from a super weak guy to a superhero. He became like taller and stronger and more, you know, superhero-y.'

Alec frowned at Max' explanation and for a second, Max was worried that Alec would tell him that it was stupid and walk away. But then Alec joined in the debate by saying: 'Jace would win the fight against Captain America. Unless that super serum is made out of Angelic blood, there's no way that he could beat Jace. Or any shadowhunter for that matter.'

Rafael tried to bring in his argument: 'But what if-'

'Nope, Jace would still win the fight.' Alec insisted. 

'But-'

'No.'

'Fine!' Rafael sighed in exasperation. Both Max and Rafael knew that there was no use in debating with Alec about his parabatai.

'What about Clary versus the black widow?' Max suggested. 'Who would win that fight?'

'Well,' Rafael pondered, 'I guess Clary would stand a chance. She's small, so all her fury and fierceness must be hard to contain. And she's quite stubborn, she wouldn't give up the fight.'

'That's where you're wrong,' Simon said. 'I love Clary, she's my best friend. But the black widow would totally win the fight.'

'Why?' Rafael asked. 'Shouldn't you root for your best friend?'

'Because The Black Widow has a gun.' Simon stated.

'But Clary has a Seraph Blade', Max debated.

'By the time she has raised her arm high enough to swing the sword, she would have been shot at least three times already', Simon said. 'And even without the gun, The Black Widow would still win. I can't think of a scenario where Clary could win.'

'Clary's hand to hand combat is really... Well, I wouldn't say terrible, but it needs some- no, a lot of work', Alec added.

At least they agree on something, Max thought. Even though it might not be the best thing to bond over.

.

.

.

Magnus and Rafael made their way to the living room after they were finished talking about the club's finances. Rafael, Max, Alec, and Simon seemed to be debating. About what, Magnus didn't know, but it did seem quite intense. As the got closer, Magnus managed to pick up bits and pieces of the argument. 'Warlocks reach a limit, Wizards don't.' 'Dumbledore...' 'Yeah, but Magnus-'

'What are you guys arguing about?' Magnus asked when they came close enough.

Rafael looked up, a bright smile plastered on his face. 'Magnus!' He greeted enthusiastically. 'We were just debating whether you or Dumbledore would win in a battle.'

Magnus raised an eyebrow. He didn't expect them to be talking about him, much less comparing him to a fictional wizard. 'And what were the results?' Magnus asked out of curiosity.

'Alec and I thought that you would definitely win,' Rafael told him. So Alexander thinks that I'd win, Magnus thought with delight. He flashed the man a smile, making him turn red and advert his eyes.

'Max's still thinking about it,' Rafael continued, 'and Simon thinks that Dumbledore would win.'

Magnus eyed the vampire. 'Really, Steven?' Magnus queried. 'What made you think that I would lose?'

Simon lifted his hand to adjust the glasses that were no longer there. 'It's Simon. And, you see, warlocks hit a limit with their magic, they can't continue after a certain point without sometimes fatal consequences. But wizards channel their magic through their wands, so they don't have the limits. And wizards can cast protection spells easier than Warlocks do, so their defenses are better too.'

Magnus didn't expect him to give a full analysis, and it seemed that he was planning to continue. To avoid a long lecture on how he would lose against a white-haired, long-bearded, Merlin wannabe, Magnus interrupted the nerd so he could give them his thoughts on the matter.

'There are at least three reasons why I would win the fight', Magnus stated. 'One-' Magnus raised a finger'-I'm older, so I have a larger extent of knowledge on magic. I don't need an endless supply of magic or better protection spells. If I can fire one of two powerful offense spells, he would be down within seconds. Second of all-' he raised another finger '-even if I can't beat him with magic, however improbable, I would easily be able to beat him in a fistfight.'  
'And lastly', Magnus said with a smug smile and raised a third finger. He waited until Raphael had enough with his bullshit and sighed: 'What's the third reason?' Magnus smiled at him. 'Cause he's a fictional character and I'm real.'

Magnus heard Alec snort. It made his smile grow wider.

.

'So,' Rafael asked, staring up at Raphael. Magnus wondered what he was going to do. 'Who are you?'

'I'm Raphael,' Raphael answered.

'No,' Rafael said, 'I'm Rafael.'

Raphael didn't say anything, he just stared at the kid in front of him, unimpressed. Rafael seemed to be lost in his thoughts for a moment, but then he looked his namesake in the eyes and said, dead serious: 'Then we must battle to the dead. There can only be one of us.'

Magnus had to stifle a laugh. To his surprise, Raphael actual went along with it. 'Lucky for your, I'm already dead', Raphael deadpanned.

Rafael thought about the answer, then said: 'I accept your defeat. You must now change your name.'

Raphael frowned at Magnus. 'Where did you even get this brat from?'

'Well... It's a long story', Magnus told his friend.

Max walked up to Raphael and put a hand on the vampire's arm. 'Don't take my brother seriously', Max told him. 'He can be quite dramatic.'

'I wasn't planning on taking him seriously', Raphael said flatly.

'Good.' Max patted Raphael's arm. The situation was so weird that it became funny. Magnus had a hard time containing his laughter.

Magnus coughed. 'So eh, Raphael.'

'Yes?' the vampire and the shadowhunter said simultaneously.

'I meant the older one,' Magnus clarified. 'I wanted to ask whether you'd want to go visit Ragnor with me.'

'Why?' Raphael asked, confused by the sudden invitation.

'You haven't heard it yet?' Magnus asked. He'd thought that the news would've reached Raphael by now.

'No,' Rafael said, sounding concerned. 'His usual letter didn't arrive today. I thought that something must've come up, causing him to be unable to write the letter. But it didn't cross my mind that something serious might've happened. What was it?'

'Who still writes letters these days?' Rafael whispered not so softly to his brother. His comment went ignored.

'He got attacked by a demon in his house.' Magnus informed Raphael.

'In his house?' Raphael asked in disbelief. 'That's impossible!'

'Valentine must've pulled some dirty tricks,' Magnus guessed. 'He's also after the book of the white.'

'That goddamned Valentine again.' Raphael scowled. 'Is Ragnor injured badly?'

'Quite,' Magnus told him truthfully. 'But he'll pull through. Cat is with him now.'

'When were you planning on going', Raphael asked.

'Tomorrow, if possible', Magnus replied.

Raphael nodded. 'Text me the details, I'll have to appoint someone to be in charge when I'm gone. Can't leave those vampires alone for too long without a leader.'

Magnus nodded.

Raphael and Simon left not long after, leaving the two shadowhunter and warlocks alone to enjoy the rest of their evening.

.

.

.

'Did Simon look a bit pale to you?' Max asked Rafael when they were back in their room.

Rafael shrugged. 'He probably pulled another Star Wars marathon. He's not married to aunt Izzy yet, so there's no one to keep him in check.'

'Sounds reasonable.'

.

.

.

Rafael, Max, and Alec stood in front of the bathroom mirror, brushing their teeth. All three of them were wearing their pajamas. Or only the pants in Alec's case. Max shared a look with his brother when he put down his toothbrush, and Rafael nodded. Max quietly snapped his fingers and suddenly, a gigantic tarantula was crawling in the bathtub.

'HOLY SHIT WHAT IS THAT?!' Rafael screamed, pointing at the spider in the tub. Alec's head snapped towards where Rafael was pointing at and chocked on his toothbrush.

.

.

.

Magnus stood in his room, still wet from the shower he just took, and was only wearing a pair of tight black boxers with the word 'Booty' written in pink glitter on the back. He was drying his hair when he hears Rafael scream in the bathroom, followed by a louder one. From Alec. Magnus threw his towel on the ground and raced to the bathroom, his mind and heart racing. What happened? Did Valentine's minions invade my house?!

Magnus ran into the bathroom 'What's going on?!' He yelled. His mind was busy searching for threats that he didn't notice Rafael and Max sneaking out. Nor did he notice the door close, and lock behind him. Magnus expected to see a demon or anything equally deadly, but instead he saw a giant spider in his bathtub. He was caught off guard, of course, no one would expect to see a tropical spider in their bathroom for no reason. Seeing that the 'threat' was pretty much harmless, Magus decided to ignore it for the moment and turned to ask Alexander what he was yelling about. He didn't expect to find Alec standing behind him, as far away from the bathtub as possible. 'Alexander what-' Then, a sudden realization hit him. An amused smile grew on his lips. 'Are you afraid of spiders, Alexander?' Magnus asked, sounding amused.

'No', Alec denied, his face reddening.

'Who would've thought that an angel-blessed, demon-fighting shadowhunter would be afraid of a harmless spider?' Magnus teased.

'I'm not afraid of spiders!' Alec repeated, though his voice quivered a bit.

'Well, if you're not afraid,' Manus continued, 'then I'm sure you'd be willing to pick the tarantula up and throw it out of the window.'

Alec stubbornly took a few small steps towards the bathtub, but then suddenly turned around. 'I can't.' Alec said.

'Is it because you're afraid to pick it up?' Magnus asked, waiting for Alec to admit that he was afraid of spiders.

'No.' Alec said. 'I'm a shadowhunter, and it's part of my job to protect the mundanes. I cannot throw the spider out of the window, it could fall onto someone and endanger them.'

'How would a harmless spider endanger anyone?' Magnus asked out of curiosity.

'I don't know Magnus,' Alec said sarcastically, 'how would you like it if a giant spider fell out of the sky? It could harm the mundane's mental wellbeing and increase the possibility of them doing anything reckless.'

Magnus was amused by his ability to come up with such an excuse. 'Then you should flush it down the toilet', Magnus suggested.

'It would clog the toilet', Alec countered, without missing a beat. Magnus had to give it to him, Alec was really good at coming up with excuses when he needed to. Alec might've been stubborn, but he was too, and he really wanted Alec to confess his phobia of spiders. So he did the next best thing: he walked over to the bathtub and let the spider crawl onto his hand. From the corner of his eye, Magnus could see the distressed look on Alec's face. A smart shadowhunter like him had probably already figured out what Magnus was about to do. Magnus took a few steps towards Alec, who took a cautious step back. Magnus looked at the spider, then back at the shadowhunter in front of him, and started to pet the hairy tarantula on his hand.

Magnus extended his arm towards Alec. 'Don't you want to give it a try?' Magnus asked sweetly.

Magnus could see Alec swallow. 'No thanks', Alec declined, 'I'm good.'

'You sure?' Magnus asked. 'He's only a bit hairy, and it kinda tickles when you pet it.'

The tarantula crawled to Magnus' fingertips, and slowly closer towards the shadowhunter. Alec couldn't take it anymore. 'BY THE ANGEL, GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!' He yelled.

Magnus pulled his arm back. Even though he was stubborn to prove that he was right, he wasn't a bully and knew when to stop. 'You could've just been honest and admitted that you're afraid of spiders', Magnus said teasingly.

'I'm not afraid of spiders,' Alec said with reddened cheeks and an adorable little pout, ' I just strongly detest them.'

Magnus grinned. He'd gotten what he wanted. With a snap of his fingers, the tarantula disappeared again.

'Couldn't you've done that in the first place?' Alec grunted.

'And miss out on all the fun we had?' Magnus grinned. 'Never.' He made his way to the bathroom door. 'Now if you'd excuse me, I still have an entire beauty routine waiting to be done.' Magnus tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. 'What?'

.

.

.

On the other side of the door, Rafael and Max could hear everything that went on in the bathroom and were trying hard to keep their giggles quiet. When the doorknob turned, Rafael knew that it was his cue to start the act. He took a deep breath and began. 'Hey, guys?' Rafael called. 'We have a problem.' The doorknob turned again, but the door didn't open.

'What happened?' Alec asked, his voice sounding concerned. 'Are you guys hurt?'

'Eh, no', Rafael answered. 'You see, Max got afraid of and accidentally locked the door with magic, and we can't undo it.' Max was rolling on the ground, laughing silently. Rafael kicked him softly in the shins, telling him to stop. It was hard enough for him to try to suppress his own laughter without his brother trying to infect him with his.

'Don't worry,' they heard Magnus call from the other side, 'I'll undo it.' Rafael almost broke the act, but managed to withhold himself from laughing. 'Okay!'

.

.

.

Magic was like a math problem: you have to solve the first step and work it out step by step. An accidental spell cast by a ten-year-old should've been easy to undo, like reciting the tables. But what Magnus found, wasn't something easy like three times five. No, what he found was comparable with a SAT you didn't study for. So either Max was a genius, or the two brats did a hell of a job preparing this. 'Why don't you guys go watch a movie', Magnus called. 'Well join you later.' He wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of hearing him admitting defeat. 'Okay!' Rafael responded. Magnus could've sworn he heard them hi-five as their footsteps became softer and further away.

Alec frowned. 'Why didn't you open the door?'

'Because I can't.' Magnus replied.

'Why not?'

'Well, Alexander,' Magnus said, as he sat down on the edge of the bathtub, 'because we've been set up.'

'What do you mean, we've been set up?' Alec asked, not understanding the situation.

Magnus sighed. 'The door isn't locked with a simple locking spell, it's done with an old and very complicated spell', Magnus explained. 'Usually, it would take me half an hour max to solve this. But now, at the end of a very draining day. One in which I've healed my almost dying friend, made multiple portals, and conjured a room filled with stuff. I don't know how long it'll take before I've recovered enough to do this.'

Magnus sighed. 'We'll be stuck here for a while, I think.'

.

.

.

A lot of things have happened in the past 24 hours. And every time when he thought he had the situation under control, the rug got pulled out from under him.

'But why would they do that?!' Alec asked. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that he was locked up in the bathroom with his crush by two kids.

'I don't know, Alexander. Haven't you ever pulled a joke on someone when you were younger? Just because it's 'funny'?'

Alec sat down on the toilet seat. 'But-'

'What, Alexander?' Magnus interrupted. 'You still think that those kids are two well behaved little angels? Don't forget that one of them is literally half demon.'

Alec laid his head in his hands and grunted. 'What are we going to do?' he sighed in exasperation. He looked up at Magnus, waiting for him to come up with some kind of solution.

'Well, we could use this time to get to know each other better', Magnus suggested. 'Like I said, we'll be stuck here for a while.'

And perhaps it's because Alec had been occupied by the whole spider ordeal, perhaps it was because Alec' was tired after a long day. But it was then, that Alec realized that Magnus was only wearing his boxer. Alec was suddenly really conscious about the lack of a shirt covering his chest.

'Like what you see?' Magnus said suggestively after noticing Alec's reddened cheeks.

'No- I'

'No need to lie, Alexander', Magnus winked. 'Cause if we're being honest, I'm definitely enjoying the view.'

Alec quickly changed the subject. 'Is there nothing we can do to speed up your recovery?' Alec asked.

'Well, perhaps a bath or a massage would work', Magnus suggested with a seductive smile.

Alec shut his eyes and took a breath. 'Just- stop', he breathed.

'Stop it.' He said, harder this time. 'Stop flirting, stop acting like this will work.' He looked at Magnus. 'I'm engaged, Magnus. At the end of the mission, I'll go back to the institute and marry Lydia. This-' he pointed at Magnus and himself. '-We, can never be.'

Magnus' smile disappeared. The glint in his eyes dimmed and was replaced by a look Alec had never seen before, one that he couldn't place. 'That's one thing we can, no, should talk about', Magnus said, his tone serious. 'Your engagement. I'm going to be very honest with you here, Alexander. I'm going to tell you my opinions on the matter, my feelings and going to lay myself bare.'

Magnus took a breath. And Alec understood why he couldn't place the look in Magnus' eyes. It was a look filled with hurt and anguish, and it was so contrasted to Magnus' usual upbeat personality that Alec couldn't recognize it.

'You broke my heart, Alexander.' Magnus breathed. Alec's heart dropped at those words. 'You surprised me with your words, you really did', Magnus continued, he voice just above a whisper. 'But not in a good way. No, on the contrary.' Alec's stomach turned. 'Did you know how happy I was when you said that you were going to follow my advice? That you were going to follow your heart for once? Did you know that I hadn't felt that way in a really long time? Of course you don't. I doubt that you would've done what you did if you do.' The pain in Alec's chest intensified. He hated to hear the truth, hated himself for being the one that caused Magnus' pain. He couldn't look at Magnus.

'I really thought that you were going to choose me. That you were finally going to free yourself from the clutches of your parent, from your self-appointed responsibilities. But instead, you told me that you were getting married to another. And you only told me after I made a complete fool out of myself in front of you.'

Alec heard how Magnus' breath was getting faster and more irregular. He himself was having trouble keeping his own breath from shaking. He wanted Magnus to stop. Wanted him to stop telling him what he did wrong, the mistakes and sacrifices he made. To stop telling him the pain that he caused and ignored for the sake of his family.

'You made me feel like a fool for believing in love. Made me feel like a fool for breaking the 'don't date a shadowhunter' rule.' Magnus took another shaky breath before whispering, 'Made me feel like a fool for thinking that you could be the one.'

'Stop it', Alec whispered. 'Stop it!' Louder this time. 'Stop putting the blame on me. You know how important family is to me.'

'Oh no. No, no, no', Magnus hissed. 'You don't get to say that. You were the one that didn't explain your actions. I had to hear it from Rafael.'

Alec's eyes widened in surprise. 'How did-'

'Not important', Magnus snapped. 'So no, you don't get to tell me to stop. And no, I'm not going to stop convincing you to stay. Not if I know that your feelings towards her aren't real. Not if I know that I don't have to be heartbroken.'

It fell silent. The echo of their breath was the only thing Alec could hear besides the drumming of his heartbeat. The silence lasted for what felt like an eternity. Alec was the first to break the silence.

Alec stared at his feet. 'I'm sorry', he whispered. But it sounded like screaming in the deafening silence. 'I'm sorry', he whispered again. This time he was looking straight into Magnus' eyes. Brown met hazel and a million unspoken words were exchanged. Of regret and console, of desire and sorrow, of love and hope. The closing of the distance went unnoticed until the tip of their noses met. Alec felt himself giving in to temptation, saw those dark brown eyes flutter close and felt his own follow suit. But just before he crossed the line, before he reached the point of no return, he remembered the reason behind all this heartbreak and sorrow. Alec pulled back and away from the man he knew would make him happy. 'I'm sorry', he whispered again. 'I can't. I have to do it. For my family.'

When the dark brown eyes opened again, they were filled with tears. 'Why can't I be your family?' Magnus asked with a broken voice.

Alec looked away. He'd wanted nothing more, but knew that it was impossible as long as Lydia was still in the picture. Impossible as long as she was still threatening the Lightwoods' position as head of the institute.

Magnus stood up and took a deep breath. 'Your silence said more than enough, Alexander.' He made his way to the door. 'I'll just focus on opening the door so we can leave.' Magnus turned the doorknob, and to their surprise, it opened. 'Son of a bitch!' Magnus whispered. 'They set up a spellduration.' Magnus turned to Alec, 'Remember what I said. I'm not planning on giving up.'

Alec stayed silent.

'Goodnight, Alexander', Magnus said as he stepped out of the Bathroom.

.

.

.

The lights were off when Magnus passed the living room, the boys must've gone to bed. One less thing to worry about. He made his way to his bedroom and went straight to bed, beauty routine be damned. In the dark, the conversation replayed itself in his head over and over again. It hurt, to be rejected. But Magnus wouldn't let the tears fall. Instead, he let himself be motivated by the fact that they came so close to a kiss. He knew that all he needed to do now was to convince him that there are other ways to fulfill his responsibilities towards his family.

Magnus was tired, but his mind was wide awake, and all he could do was to wait for sleep to claim him. Sleep never came, instead, Magnus heard his door open. Magnus opened his eyes, his cat-eyes making it possible for him to see the Max standing by the door.

'What are you doing here?' Magnus asked, sitting up. He looked at the clock. 'It's 1 am.'

Max rubbed his eyes. 'I couldn't sleep', he told Magnus. 'Can I sleep here with you?'

Magnus was surprised by the request, but couldn't find it in his heart to refuse, so he pulled the duvet away and gestured for Max to climb onto the bed. Max climbed onto the bed, over Magnus and tried to make himself comfortable in Magnus' bed. Magnus laid back down beside Max and the boy snuggled closer to Magnus. They laid in silence until Max whispered, 'Can you sing me a lullaby?'

Magnus was taken aback. 'I don't know any', he replied.

'Yes, you do', Max yawned. 'The one your mother used to sing to you when you were little.'

Magnus was shocked. How did he know about that? Still, Magnus searched his mind, trying to remember the lullaby. To his surprise, the words and tune came to him immediately. Softly, Magus sang the Indonesian lullaby that he hadn't heard in centuries, one that he'd thought that he'd forgotten. By the end of the song, Magnus felt calmer, his mind more at ease. He was almost asleep when he heard Max yawn, 'I love you, papa.'

Magnus' eyes snapped open. What did he just say?! Suddenly, it all made sense. The request to stay at his loft, the reason they're not homesick. Not anymore they'd said. The reason they'd kept their parents' names secret.

They have two dads.

There was only one person who'd fit the picture. The one person the boys had been trying set him up with. One person that they complained about marrying another. The one person Magnus wanted a family with.

As much as he wanted to wake up Max and demand him to tell him the truth, he couldn't wake the sleeping boy. Magnus sighed as he laid back down once again, he'd have to wait until morning.

.

.

.

Magnus managed to fall asleep, but it didn't last long as he was suddenly awoken by screams coming from the guestrooms. Magnus shot up and ran towards the source of the screaming. He found Rafael stumbling out of his room, screaming for his brother. Alec, who was also awoken by the screaming, was at the boy's side in an instance. Magnus kneeled down by the boy, who was sobbing, hyperventilating. Rafael went off as soon as he saw Magnus and Alec, talking rapidly in Spanish.

Alec turned to Magnus. 'What is he-'

Magnus shushed him, he was trying to follow what Rafael was saying. He knew Spanish, yes. But it's been ages since he'd last spoken the language and he was getting a bit rusty. It didn't help that it was two thirty in the morning and Rafael's words being hard to understand due to his heavy sobbing. But eventually, Magnus managed to understand what Rafael was saying.

'Where's Max?' 'I woke up and he wasn't there.' 'The nightmare kept returning.' 'I could see the demons again, but they were going after Max too.' 'I couldn't find dad.' 'He didn't come for me.'

Magnus pulled Rafael into a tight hug and spoke to him softly in Spanish, comforting and reassuring him that he and Max were safe. 'We're here. Your father will always come for you, and so will I. Max is safe, he's sleeping in my room. It was just a nightmare, it's over now.' Rafael held on to both Magnus and Alec as Magnus tried to comfort him, he refused to let go. Eventually, Rafael's sobs turned into sniffles and his breathing evened out. That's when Magnus turned to Alec to explain the situation to the still confused and very concerned shadowhunter.

'Rafael woke up from a nightmare in which he and Max were attacked by demons and he couldn't find Max.' Magnus whispered to Alec, trying not to upset the boy in his arms anymore.

'Where's-'

'Don't worry', Magnus cut off Alec before he could start panicking about Max' whereabouts. 'He said he couldn't sleep so came to me. He's sleeping in my bed right now.'

Alec nodded, he relaxed a bit. 'What now?'

'We try to get him to sleep', Magnus answered.

Magnus started to stroke Rafael's hair softly. 'Do you want to come sleep with Max and me tonight?' Magnus whispered softly in Spanish.

'I want to sleep with you and dad', Rafael answered, tightening his grip on Alec's shirt.

Magnus sighed as he looked at Alec and said, 'He wants to sleep with both of us tonight.' Magnus was about to give a speech on how it wasn't about the two of them right now and that they needed to be here for Rafael, when Alec surprised him by agreeing.

'What?'

'I said yes', Alec repeated. 'It's not about us, it's about Rafael right now. So on which bed are we going to sleep?'

Magnus coughed. 'Yes, ehm. I suggest that we sleep in mine, Max is already sleeping in it. I can make it bigger to fit the four of us.'

Alec nodded. 'Let's go.'

Making their way to the master bedroom turned out to be harder than Magnus thought. With a sleepy Rafael clinging on to him while refusing to let Alec go, it took them way longer than necessary. When they finally made it to the bed, Magnus used his magic to make it wider so they could all fit onto the bed without problem. Alec laid down on the opposite side of the bed, with the boys laying between them. Rafael's sniffles had yet to stop, so Magnus decided to sing him the lullaby he'd sung for Max, hoping that it might calm the boy down. It did. Rafael started snoring soon after Magnus finished singing, much to Magnus' relief.

In the dark, Magnus saw Alec looking at him, no doubt unaware of him being able to see him staring.

'Goodnight, Alexander', Magnus said softly as he closed his eyes.

'Goodnight, Magnus.'

.

.

.

'Rafael, you're hogging the duvet.'

'hhhhhmmmmm.' Rafael was too sleepy to respond with actual. He laid on the softest bed ever, and the duvet was just so warm and comfy that he refused to move.

'Rafael,' his father's voice warned again. Rafael wiggled a bit, trying to block the light.

'Rafael, you're kicking your brother off the bed.'

'...There's… a carpet…' Rafael mumbled slowly.

'Rafael, wake up.'

Rafael didn't, he wanted to keep sleeping. Suddenly, the duvet was pulled away, exposing Rafael to the cold air. 'AH!' Rafael trashed around, trying to find the warm duvet, kicking his brother off the bed in the process. Max fell off the bed with a thud.

'Rafael!'

'NO! I wanna sleep, papa. Why can't you just let me?!' But it was too late, Rafael was too awake to be able to fall asleep again. He opened his eyes and grunted. Rafael could see Magnus standing next to the bed, the duvet in his arms, and when he rolled to the edge of the bed, Rafael could see Max sleeping on the floor. 'WAKE UP MAX!' Rafael yelled at his brother. If he wasn't allowed to sleep in, then Max couldn't either. Max slowly opened his eyes and rubbed them sleepily. Rafael grinned. But then he saw that the carpet was a dark shade of purple instead of the red. And when he looked at Magnus, the warlock had brown human eyes instead of yellow catlike ones.

With a jolt, Rafael remembered that he was in an alternate universe and realized that he just blew his cover by calling Magnus 'papa'. The shock and panic were probably easy to read off his face, since Magnus dumped the duvet onto the bed and said, 'Don't worry. I know the truth already.'

'What?' Rafael asked. 'How?'

'Well, your brother told me subconsciously last night', Magnus replied. Rafael kicked Max's sheens. 'AU!'

'Rafael!'

'Sorry,' Rafael mumbled sheepishly. He looked around the room, Alec was nowhere to be found. 'Where's-'

'Alec woke up an hour ago', Magnus told him. 'He went for a morning run. I think he's in the kitchen right now, trying to find some breakfast.'

'Does he know?' Rafael asked.

Magnus fumbled with the sleeve of his bathrobe. 'That you're his adopted child in an alternate universe? No.'

'Why didn't you tell him?'

Magnus sighed. He sat down next to Rafael on the bed and pulled the half-asleep Max onto his lap. 'Because we're not a couple right now, and I don't want him to be with me only because he feels obliged to, if you get what I mean', Magnus confessed. 'Though I don't expect you to.' Magnus ran his hand through Max' hair.

'I guess I do,' Rafael responded. 'You guys still need to figure things out. It's complicated enough without knowing that your alternate selves are raising two kids together.'

'You can actually act like quite a grown up when you want to,' Magnus noted. He pulled Rafael close and into a sideways hug.

'Hey!' Rafael protested. 'I always act mature!'

'Sure', Magnus laughed.

'Hmph!' Rafael huffed.

'Do you think that Alec would make pancakes if the ingredients are in the fridge?' Magnus wondered.

'Probably', Rafael answered. He was quite hungry, and some home-made pancakes sounded really nice.

'Good, because I just conjured the ingredients up in the fridge', Magnus told Rafael. He laid Max down on the bed and stood up. 'I'm going to get dressed, can't show up to breakfast looking like this.'

An idea suddenly came to Rafael's mind. 'Can I do your makeup?' He asked.

Max shot up upon hearing these words. 'Makeup?'

.

.

.

Magnus didn't know why he agreed to let two children do his makeup. He didn't know whether he was supposed to feel this nervous as he sat in front of his mirror while Rafael laid out different kinds of glitter.

'Okay, I'm going to start now', Rafael announced.

'I want to do his makeup too!' Max complained. 'It's not fair that you get to do it!'

'You always mess up the eyeliner and eyeshadow', Rafael said. 'I can't let you mess this up. It's important.'

'But I want to do it!' Max whined.

'Why don't you paint my nails?' Magnus suggested quickly. He didn't want to break up a fight between them this early in the morning.

Max' face lit up. 'Yes! I want to do your nails!' Magnus laid out all his different kinds of nail polish next to the makeup and placed his hands on the table, allowing Max to paint his ten fingernails in every color imaginable. 'Can I paint your nails too, Raf?' Max asked his brother.

'When I'm done doing Magnus' makeup', Rafael promised.

Max nodded excitedly.

'So,' Rafael said, looking at Magnus via the mirror, 'let's get started.'

To Magnus' surprise, Rafael was quite good at what he did, almost professional even. Magnus didn't want to admit it, but Rafael's handiwork was almost better than his own. Magnus found it quite calming to watch the boys working with utmost concentration while his favorite songs played in the background.

Rafael stopped abruptly when he was about to start working on his eyes. 'I can't do this,' the boy said.

'What?' Magnus asked, confused.

'Undo the glamor.' Rafael demanded. 'I can't work with your brown eyes. They need to be yellow or everything I've done would've been pointless.'

Magnus hesitated. He didn't like showing his demonmarks. Though he knew that these kids wouldn't mind, someone else might…

'If you're worried about scaring Alec off by showing him your demonmark,' Rafael said, voicing Magnus' exact thought, 'you won't. He's not that kind of person. And if he can't accept you for who you are, then he's not the right person for you.'

The situation was almost laughable. Magnus never expected to get relationship advice from a thirteen-year-old. But what Rafael said did make sense, so he undid his glamor, revealing his yellow catlike eyes.

'That's better', Rafael said, and continued to apply makeup onto his face.

It didn't take long for Rafael to finish. Magnus looked in the mirror as Rafael took a step back to admire his work. The way Rafael made him up was quite similar to the way Magnus used to do himself. But his eyes, there laid the difference. The yellow of his irises were the center of the attention, full of life and so different from the dull brown Magnus covered them up with. It felt right, fitted his personality more.

'You've done a fantastic job, Rafael,' Magnus praised. The boy smiled proudly. 'I know.'

'And you too, Max', Magnus smiled, admiring his colorful nails. Max grinned.

'Maybe Alec will let me do his nails too', Max said enthusiastically. 'Then we'll all have beautiful nails!'

Magnus smiled at the boy, 'Why don't we go eat breakfast, I think I smell pancakes.'


	14. Chapter XIV

_Magnus had to leave again after Breakfast, much to Alec's displease. But he knew that it was necessary to let him go if he wanted to see their sons again. The two of them walked in silence towards the library where Magnus would portal away to the Spiral Labyrinth. The portal had already been set up by Clary when the two of them were still eating breakfast, it stood there, waiting for someone to pass through._

 _Alec pulled his boyfriend into one last hug. They held on longer than needed. When they finally pulled apart, their pendants entangled. Alec looked down at his new piece of accessory. 'Where did this come from?' Alec frowned, not remembering much of the night before._

' _It's a gift, Alexander', Magnus told him as he carefully untangled the two pendants. 'I planned on giving it to you on your birthday, but I thought I'd be better now, seeing the circumstances.'_

' _Why?' Alec asked, not understanding what he meant._

 _Magnus took his hand. 'Well, I know how much you were worrying about the boys going on their own missions.'_

' _And I was right to be worried', Alec said in an 'I told you so' manner._

' _Yes, I know. So I found this spell that could reflect them- or rather their life forces on these crystals', Magnus explained calmly. 'The blue one, the one that you're wearing, is connected to Max. And the one I'm wearing is connected to Rafael. And as long as the crystals are shining, it means our boys are safe, unhurt.'_

 _Alec started to tear up. He clenched the blue crystal with his free hand. Magnus wiped the tear away that rolled down Alec's cheek._

' _I hope you don't mind me holding onto Rafael's crystals right now', Magnus started. 'I'd be-'_

 _Alec cut him off with a kiss. 'Of course, I don't mind', he said when he pulled away. 'You ought to make one for me too', he added. 'Since you're always worried about me going on patrols at night.'_

' _I'm way ahead of you, darling,' Magnus grinned, showing him a silver ring with a blue gem the same color as his eyes._

 _Alec laughed. 'I should've known.'_

' _You really should've.'_

 _After one last peck on the lips, Magnus stepped towards the Portal. 'I'll send a fire message if I find anything', he promised._

' _Good luck.'_

' _I'll definitely need it.'_

.

.

.

Magnus subconsciously hummed the lullaby as he cleaned the dishes. He could've cleaned them without moving a finger, but for some reason, he felt like doing it the mundane way. Perhaps it was the illusion of the domestic lifestyle he'd always wanted somewhere in the back of his head. But it could've also been a way to restrain himself from barging into Alec's room and film the way the boys were painting his nail. Magnus could hear the giggles coming from down the hall, followed by Alec's sounds of protest. Magnus didn't know when he started smiling, but he knew that he couldn't stop, even when his cheeks had started to hurt.

It's funny, Magnus thought, how he had just vowed the night before, crying in the bathroom, to never give up on Alec. And here he was, the very next day, doing the dishes after Alec had made pancakes for breakfast. Alec, who was now in his guestroom having his nails painted by their sons from an alternate reality. Fate works in mysterious ways, Magnus decided. Not that he was complaining.

Magnus was having a great morning, but of course, it didn't last long. The doorbell rang when he Magnus had just finished washing the frying pan. _It must be Raphael_ , Magnus thought. Though Magnus hadn't expected him to show up this early, Raphael did say that he'd come as soon as possible.

Magnus dried his hand with a dishcloth and walked out of the kitchen. With a turn of his hand, the dishes were cleaned and back in the cupboards. He couldn't have anyone thinking that he did these things by hand. He had a reputation to uphold, thank you very much.

Magnus made his way to the intercom, expecting to hear Raphael urging him to open the door. Instead, the voice he heard was one he'd hoped never to hear again.

'Hello, Magnus,' a female voice purred over the intercom.

Magnus was shocked but managed to keep hide it when he spoke. 'Camille,' he said coldly, 'what are you doing here?'

'I'll explain,' Camille said in a sweet voice, 'but let us up first.'

Us. She had brought others with her. Magnus couldn't let them up, not when Alec and the boys were still in his loft. His mind was racing, searching for a way to keep them, and especially Camille out of his house. But he kept his voice cool when he asked: 'And who might your companions be?'

'Hey Magnus,' a new voice chimed in. _Clary_. 'Can you please let us in? We can't really discuss this outside.' She sounded tired. Magnus sighed and let them up, accepting the fact that his peaceful morning had come to an end. _What have I done to deserve this?_ He thought miserably.

Magnus cast a spell over the guestroom to keep their scent hidden from Camille. He waited somewhat impatiently for Camille and Clary, the sooner he had this over with, the better. What Magnus didn't expect, was for them to be accompanied by Isabelle and the vampire who came with Raphael the night before.

'And to what do I owe the pleasure to have you all barging into my loft this early in the morning?' He asked sarcastically.

'That's no way to greet an old friend now, is it?' Camille asked, placing a hand on Magnus' shoulder. He stepped away. Anger flashed through Camille's eyes, but it was gone as soon as it came. 'Anyway,' she said, inspecting her nails as if nothing happened, 'we need a favor.'

'And I thought I was done with you,' Magnus said, looking down at his ex-lover.

'We'll never be done with each other', Camille replied.

'You'd be surprised,' Magnus said with a smile. Camille glared at him.

'We need you to draft a writ of transmutation,' Clary said, steering the conversation back to the important matters.

'That could be done in an instance,' Magnus said, 'I assume that you'll be leaving after I draft the writ. I was having quite a peaceful morning before you showed up.'

'Of course,' Camille promised.

'I'll go call for backup,' Isabelle said, walking away. After a few steps, she turned back around. 'Speaking of it, where's-' Magnus cut her off with a glare. He didn't want her to talk about Alec and the boys in Camille's presence. Luckily, she seemed to understand him. 'You know what,' Isabelle said, 'I think we'll be able to keep one vampire in check. No need for backup.'

Unfortunately, the vampire Samuel -or was it Simba?- didn't catch on and asked: 'Where are the-'

Isabelle cut him off by stomping on his foot with her heels. Sherlock yelped in an unmanly way. 'What was that for?!' he exclaimed. Isabelle shut him up with a glare. Honestly, Magnus was starting to like Isabelle. He could see them getting along as future in-laws.

'What's going on,' Camille asked, eying everyone in the room. 'Are you hiding something from me, Magnus?' She looked him straight in the eye.

'And why would I do that?' Magnus answered.

Just as the words left his mouth, he heard a pair of footsteps rushing towards them. Magnus the timing of it. Camille raised an eyebrow at him in a 'look what we have here' way. A heartbeat later, Rafael stood in front of him, seeming surprised by the amount of people in the loft. But then he shrugged and asked: 'Hey Magnus, where's the nail polish remover?'

'Second drawer on the left side of my dresser', Magnus answered, hoping that Rafael would leave before Camille started to bother him. He should've known better than to hope.

Camille placed a hand on Rafael's shoulder, Magnus clenched his fist. 'Why Magus,' she gasped dramatically, 'you didn't tell me that you were housing a- she sniffed the air around Rafael- a Nephilim!' Magnus glared at her. She ignored him, instead she focussed on her newly found 'toy'.

Camille eyed Rafael up. 'My name Camille Belcourt', she said with her usual cocky smile. 'And you are?'

'Not in the mood to meet an obvious bitch like you', Rafael answered after taking her hand off his shoulder and having eyed her up the same way she did.

Camille's smile faltered. Magnus felt a sudden flare of pride looking at the boy. He was about to send the boy away when he heard more footsteps coming from the hallway. Max came into view a second later, followed Alec, whose hair was covered in glitter.

'Raf, you said you were getting the remover-' Max stopped when he saw the group of people.

'A warlock and another shadowhunter, Magnus, what else are you trying to hide from me?' Camille asked.

Upon seeing Camille as well as the defensive postures of his friends towards her, Alec reached for his weapon only to realize that one, he didn't have his blade on him, and two, his nails weren't dry yet so he couldn't touch anything. It was as adorable to see as it was embarrassing for Alec.

'Looking good, brother,' Isabelle commented, eying the glitter and his painted nails.

'Shut up', Alec growled.

'So, Magnus,' Camille said, inspecting her nails, 'while I've been trapped inside a hideous coffin, you've been playing pretend with your boy-toy over here? How pathetic.'

Magnus felt his anger burn as she continued. 'So what, you think you've found _love_? And look! You've even let down your glamour for him! How sweet.' She made a barfing sound. Magnus had forgotten entirely about it. He glamoured his eyes again. 'What you're doing is very selfish, I think you know that too. Mortals don't last, Magnus. And neither does love. I've told you that many times before, but you just don't seem to learn. What are you going to do when you get bored with them? Will you cast them aside and move on to the next best thing? Will you-'

'SHUT THE FUCK UP!' Rafael bellowed. He stalked up to Camille and looked her dead in the eyes. 'Listen up bitch, I don't know who you are, and honestly, I don't care. But that _Boy-toy_ over there- he pointed at Alec without breaking eye contact with Camille- has a name. He's called Alec, and he's a thousand times the person you'll ever be. He's nice, caring, and didn't get mad when I accidentally threw glitter all over him and his stuff. Maybe you could use some- scratch that, a fuck-ton of glitter too so people won't notice your ugly face or your split ends.' Camille's hand went automatically to her hair. 'And another thing,' Rafael continued, 'What do you even know about love? When I look at you, all I see is a whiny and attention-seeking bitch because her parents didn't love her when she was a child. Now you're doing just what you described yourself: going from 'lover'- Rafael added air quotes to the word- to 'lover', manipulate them and abusing their feelings and kindheartedness before you get bored and cast them aside. If you think for one second Magnus is remotely similar to you, then you're wrong.'

Rafael's words warmed Magnus' heart, he was really touched by them. Camille, on the other hand, had a different opinion. Her hand shot up, reaching for Rafael's throat, but Magnus managed to stop her before she did. His grip tightened on her delicate wrist as he looked her in the eye and growled, 'Don't you dare lay a finger on him.' Camille bared her fangs at him. From the corners of his eyes, Magnus could see that everyone was ready to attack at any moment and that Alec was trying to get Max to stay behind him.

'Oh how low you've sunken,' Camille hissed. 'You can't do anything to me, Magnus, you need me to find the book. If I'm gone, you'll never get your hands on it, ever.'

'I'll draft you the writ', Magnus promised. 'But after that, you need to get the hell out of my loft.' He tightened his grip once more before he let her go. Camille rubbed her wrist, and said, 'You should never cross me, Magnus. Besides, I wouldn't hurt the Nephilim, I'm not mad. I don't want the clave hunting me down.' Magnus followed her gaze to Max, who stood next to the couch playing with the Chairman. His eyes widened as he realized what she planned. 'But they don't care about the downworlders,' Camille grinned as she leaped forward with her vampire speed.

'NO!' Magnus cried, surging forward knowing that he was too late to do anything, no one could get to Max in time. Magnus looked in horror as she stood, looming over Max, reached out with her ridiculously sharp nails and …. Her hand passed right through Max. Camille looked at her hand in confusion, then back at Max. Everyone was looking at Max, who flickered and wavered. 'What-' Camille was cut off, hit by a stunning spell. Magnus' eyes shot to the direction where the spell came from and saw Max, unscathed and not flickering, standing with the Chairman in his arms. 'Well, that's one less thing to worry about', he said.

Magnus could've cried. Instead, he rushed to Max' side, dropped to his knees and pulled the small boy into his arms. Chairman Meow managed to jump out of Max' arms before being crushed between the two warlocks. 'Don't you ever do that to me again', Magnus said, still holding onto Max. 'You scared the living daylight out of me.'

'You're right,' Max grinned. 'Next time I'll just let the crazy vampire lady strangle me.'

'Smartass.'

They were soon joined by the others, who were no doubt equally shocked as Magnus. Though Magnus didn't want to let the boy go, he eventually had to when Rafael literally wriggled himself between Magnus and Max to get to his brother. ' _Idiota!'_ Rafael slapped his brother's head.

'AU!' Max complained.

' _Dios Mio_ she was- you were… AAH!' Rafael slapped his brother again before pulling him into a crushing hug.

'By the angel! What did you do?' Isabelle asked.

'I made a hologram', Max shrugged, or at least, he tried. Rafael was holding him so tight that his shoulders barely moved.

'I think the question is how, and why', Clary clarified.

'I didn't like the way she looked at me', Max confessed. 'It gave me the shivers. And I-' He paused to push his brother off him- 'I didn't really understand what you guys were arguing about, so I thought: Why not practice some spells until you were done talking. I also wanted to play with Chairman Meow so he got to help.'

'Let me get this clear, you made a magical hologram just because you were bored and when Camille attacked your hologram, you stunned her?' Simon summarised.

Max nodded.

'How come I didn't notice you walking away?' Alec asked, placing a hand on Max' shoulder as is he was making sure he wasn't a hologram again.

'I made The Chairman and myself invisible at the same time as I conjured the hologram,' Max answered as if it was no big deal.

Alec sighed. 'Couldn't you've given us a heads up? It really freaked us out.'

'But then she would've noticed that I wasn't where you thought I was,' Max replied.

'Or you could've just stayed behind me.'

'She would've gotten past you with her vampire speed.'

Alec ruffled Max' hair. 'You little smartass.'

'Wait, but what are we going to do now?' Clary asked. 'Even though I absolutely detest the idea of un-stunning that Bi-' she managed to censor herself at the last moment- 'Camille. We still put a lot of effort into kidnapping her from the Vampires and we need her to-'

'You kidnapped her from the Vampires?' Max asked, interrupting Clary.

'Technically we woke her up from eternal sleep, pissing off all the other vampires, and sort of forced her to come with us', Simon elaborated. But she kind ended up telling us what to do.'

'You betrayed Rafael?' Max gasped in disbelief. 'But you guys were friends when you came here yesterday!'

'It was my idea', Clary said. 'Simon wouldn't have done it if it wasn't necessary to get my mom back.'

'But-' Max started. He was cut off by Rafael.

'Max as you know, it's basically the first rule of the parabatai bond', Rafael reminded Max. 'Thou shalt always go along with thine parabatai's plans, no matter how stupid or dangerous it is.'

'Guess you're right,' Max muttered. 'But I still think that you shouldn't betray your friends.'

'Yeah,' Rafael agreed, 'it's a dick move. Especially when you're betraying someone named Rafael.'

'Wait, wait, wait. Hold up a second.' Clary said. 'We-' she gestured towards Simon and herself- 'are not parabatai. Simon's not even a shadowhunter!'

'Yeah,' Simon said. He opened his mouth and showed the boys his fangs. 'See? Vampire.'

'Holy shit!' Rafael gasped.

'Language!' Alec warned. Rafael ignored him.

'How come didn't I notice that?!'

'It's kinda obvious,' Isabelle said. 'Pale skin, hanging out with other vamps…'

'But I thought he was pale because he pulled a Star Wars, Star Trek, and Harry Potter marathon or something!'

'It does sound like something he'd do', Clary snorted.

'Hey!' Simon protested. 'Besides, if I'd pull such a marathon, it'd be a Star Wars and Star Trek one or a Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, and Harry potter one. You have to sort your marathons by the right genre.'

So,' Alec said, ignoring Simon's geeky outbursts, ' _he's_ a _shadowhunter_ in your universe?' He eyed Simon up as if he was trying to picture him as a shadowhunter. And by the look on Alec's face, he was having a hard time doing so.

'He is. But he has also been a vampire,' Max explained. 'He started out as a regular vamp, then a daylighter, then a daylighter with the Mark of Cain, then human again-'

'Don't forget the time he had his memory whipped by a prince of hell and turned back into a mundane', Rafael reminded Max.

'Yes, and then he became a shadowhunter to regain his memories', Max finished.

It was completely silent for a moment after the boys finished. Everyone was trying to process this newly gained information, Magnus included.

'Did we just spoil his life for him?' Max mused, breaking the silence.

'I think we did', Rafael answered with a smirk. 'Anyway, good luck with your life', he told Simon.

'It'll all work out in the end,' Max added, seeing the look of absolute dread and horror on Simon's face.

Clary placed a supportive hand on her best friend's shoulder.

From the corner of his eye, Magnus could see that Camille was slowly regaining her mobility. He hit her with another stunning spell. 'How about we return to the problem at hand,' he suggested.

'We don't have to do this', Clary told Simon. 'If you want to drive a stake through her heart, I'll stand with your decision. We can find another way to get the book.'

'No,' Simon said. 'We don't have the time to find another way. We need Camille to wake Jocelyn up, even if it means pardoning her for turning me into a vampire.'

'Do you guys have any idea where the book is?' Rafael asked. 'I mean, if you did, you don't necessarily have to make a deal with her.'

'It's supposed to be in her apartment', Clary answered. 'Wherever that is.'

Rafael turned to Magnus.

'Don't look at me', Magus said, 'I hadn't seen her for over a century. I don't know what she'd been up to nor do I know where she lives.'

'Have you tried asking Raphael where she lives?' Max chimed in. 'He's the leader of the clan, right? He must've kept an eye on all the vampires and their whereabouts.'

Once again, it was silent.

'…Why didn't we think of that?' Clary exclaimed.

'But we can't do that anymore,' Simon frowned. 'Even if we bring Camille back to Hotel Dumort, we'd, or more specifically, I'd be killed on sight.'

'But Magnus won't!' Max chirped. 'He's friends with Raphael.'

Everyone turned to Magnus with hope in their eyes. He sighed. All he wanted was _one_ peaceful morning. Was that too much to ask?

'Okay,' he agreed reluctantly, 'I'll bring her back to Raphael and ask him about her apartment. But he's going to be _very_ pissed.'

'Are we still going to Ragnor's today?' Max asked, looking up at Magnus with insecure eyes.

'Of course, we're still going,' Magnus promised, ruffling the boy's hair.

'But how are you going to get Camille to the hotel?' Alec asked, running a hand through his hair, making glitter shower down on his face.

'I'll portal to the hotel,' Magnus answered, unable to withhold himself from smiling as he looked at Alec, who's glittery nose was so bright, it would've put Rudolph to shame.

'You may want to do something about that before you go meet with mom,' Isabelle laughed.

Alec sighed. 'I think I'll take a shower before I head over to the Institute.'

'You'll be needing more than one shower', Magnus chuckled. 'Believe me, I speak from experience.'

Alec frowned.

'And I'll be accompanying you to Ragnor's today since Alec can't because of his meeting with mom', Isabelle declared.

Though Magnus didn't exactly agree with the change of plans, he knew it'd be pointless to protest.

'Let's just get this over with,' he groaned.

.

.

.

 _Alec was in his office, finishing the last batch of his paperwork when the door busted open and Magnus rushed in._

' _Magnus?!' Alec exclaimed, shocked by Magnus' sudden return. 'What's going on?'_

 _Magnus slammed a piece of paper onto Alec's desk._

' _The boys', he gasped, no doubt out of breath from running. Magnus looked Alec in the eye. 'They sent us a message!'_


	15. Chapter XV

' _The boys, they sent us a message.'_

 _Alec's eyes shot towards the piece of paper in Magnus' hand. He reached for it, but hesitated. 'Can I? He asked._

' _Yes, of course!' Magnus said hastily and handed him the paper. Alec took it and read it._

Hi papa! Hi dad!

Raf and I are safe, so don't worry.

We miss you :(

We're trying to find a way back!

Hugs and kisses,

Raf and Max.

 _Alec recognized the poorly scribbled words as Max' handwriting. He read the letter again. And then once more to be sure that he hadn't missed anything._

 _Alec felt relieved and let out a breath he didn't realize that he was holding._

 _Because of the crystal Magnus gave him, he knew that the boys weren't hurt. At least, not in a physical way. But he had been worrying about_ everything _else._

 _Did the boys have a place to stay? Did they have food and water? Were they afraid?_

 _The thoughts that had been haunting him seemed to vanish. Well, most of them anyway. He still wouldn't be able to rest until the boys were home again._

' _So they-' Alec found himself unable to finish the sentence._

' _They're in a safe place', Magnus finished for him. 'They have a place to stay and are getting help finding a way back to us.'_

 _It was silent for a moment before Alec spoke. 'I thought you said that you would send a fire-message if you had news.'_

 _Magnus gave him a sheepish grin. 'Ah, well, I guess I got a bit too excited.'_

 _Alec chuckled._

' _But,' Magnus said, more seriously, 'with this letter, we can track where the magic came from. It'll narrow our search down. We're so close Alexander. We'll bring them home.'_

 _Magnus left shortly after that. Alec thought about continuing with the paperwork on his desk, but he wasn't in the mood for it anymore. Realizing that the rest probably hadn't heard the news yet, Alec made his wat to the training room, knowing that they'd be training right now. Alec sighed._ Just a little longer, _he thought._ We're coming.

.

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.

After Magnus stepped through the portal, dragging a stunned Camille with him, Alec suggested that Simon and Clary head back to the institute. 'I'll head back later,' he said. 'I need to get the glitter out of my hair before my meeting with my mother.'

'I'll go take a shower,' Alec said to no one in particular after Simon and Clary left. He made his way towards the bathroom but then stopped and turned to look at the boys. 'And no funny businesses this time,' he warned.

'I have no idea what you're talking about', Rafael replied innocently.

Alec rolled his eye and walked away, not wanting to show the smile on his face. He was supposed to be mad after all. He could hear his sister ask the boys about last night, but their voices faded as he closed the bathroom door behind him.

Alec relaxed under the stream of hot water, releasing the stress and tension that had built up earlier. He ran his hand through his hair and let himself enjoy that moment of tranquillity for a little while before he started to wash the glitter out of his hair. His hand absently reached for the bottle of shampoo as his mind wandered to the argument he had with Magnus. He'd never seen that side of Magnus before, his insecurities and desires. Alec could still remember the look on Magnus' face, the hurt in his eyes when Alec told him that they could never be together. Just thinking about it made him want to beat himself up for hurting Magnus.

He thought about what Magnus had said: That Alec had been his exception, that he _loved_ him, that he wanted _to be his family._

He thought about the time they'd spent together, alone, and with the boys. He'd felt truly happy for the first time in forever. Of course, he'd been happy with his family, but this felt _different_. There hadn't been the underlying knowledge that the moment wouldn't last. The weight of all his other problems didn't claw at the back of his mind. He'd forgotten about everything else in those moments. Alec had gotten a taste of the life he'd always wanted, and it'd made him long for more.

Alec sighed and tried to focus on washing the glitter out of his hair. His hand went up to touch his hair. _The glitter should've been washed out by now, right?_ As he did, something else caught his eye. His arm was sparkling.

 _No,_ Alec thought, _it can't be._ Unfortunately, it was exactly as he feared. Apparently, the glitter hadn't been washed out, it had simply spread over his entire body. _Great,_ Alec thought. _Just what I needed._

Though it was frustrating and quite embarrassing, being covered in glitter wasn't Alec's largest concern at the moment. His thoughts were in scrambles and his head and heart were at war. Alec groaned as he pressed his head against the cool bathroom tile. Perhaps a meeting with his mother would clear his head.

Alec couldn't say he wasn't a bit disappointed when he saw that Magnus hadn't returned yet by the time he came out of the shower. He shoved the feeling away as he said his goodbyes and told the boys to behave when he's away. Alec was surprised that he was starting to sound like a father. He didn't know whether it was a good thing.

On his way home, Alec's mind was still haunted by the same thought and dilemmas. It was suffocating. He could go train with Jace after the meeting. That would hopefully detract him from his thoughts.

.

.

.

Magnus stepped out of the portal, followed by a fuming Raphael. In his immortal life, Magnus has had plenty of unpleasant encounters. But returning his stunned, psychotic ex-girlfriend to a rabid vampire clan is definitely one of the worst.

Magnus was glad to see that Clary and her friend were wise enough to have left before he returned with Raphael. Though it also meant that Alec probably left with them, much to Magnus' dismay.

Magnus could hear the TV and boys chatting with Isabelle. Unfortunately, that meant that Raphael could too. He was gone in a flash. Magnus sighed as he rushed after his friend. He found Isabelle and Raphael circling each other in defensive stances: Isabelle had her whip drawn, and Raphael's fangs were bared.

' _You!'_ Raphael hissed. 'You Lightwood _bitch!_ Do you have any idea what you've done?'

'Oh please,' Isabelle scoffed, 'I was only there to prevent them from dying, _and_ you from breaking the law. You should be _thanking_ me.'

Raphael took a step towards Isabelle, 'I _should_ be ripping your throat out.'

'ENOUGH!' Magnus bellowed, stepping between the two. 'I will _not_ have the two of you kill each other in _my_ house. You can settle this later.' He looked both of them in the eye. 'Am I clear?' Isabelle gave the slightest nod and her whip slipped back onto her arm. Raphael huffed, still eying Isabelle warily, but he hid his fangs. Magnus turned to the boys, 'Are you guys ready?' He asked.

'Yep!' Max answered. 'Let's go!'

'Aren't you forgetting something?' Magnus asked, raising an eyebrow at the boy.

Max frowned. 'No? I don't think so.'

Magnus glanced at the batman pajama's the boy was still wearing. _'Really?'_

Max finally looked down and saw what Magnus meant. 'Oh! I'll go change,' the boy grinnedsheepishly. He dragged Rafael with him to their bedroom.

''Hurry up!' Magnus called after them. 'We're leaving in five!'

'Make sure you're ready too', he told Isabelle.

'Sure,' Isabelle replied nonchalantly. She pulled out her phone and started texting.

'Wait, _she's_ going too?!' Raphael exclaimed. 'I will no-'

'You can also visit Ragnor tomorrow,' Magnus snapped. That seemed to shut him up. It was heart-warming to know that Raphael cared about Ragnor so much that he'd endorse a shadowhunter that'd just kidnapped a dangerous vampire.

Raphael followed Magnus as he stepped into the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee. Raphael stood broodingly in a corner, but accepted a cup nevertheless when Magnus offered him one.

.

.

.

The group arrived at Ragnor's cottage around noon. They had to go through at least three different layers of wards since Magnus had strengthened Ragnor's previous ones and added a couple more of his own. 'Just to make sure it won't happen again', Magnus told them when Rafael commented that it was a bit overkill.

Max noted that Raphael could walk in the light without getting burned. When he asked Raphael about it, the vampire told him that Magnus had cast a spell on him, allowing him to walk in the sunlight for a couple of hours. Max made a mental note to ask Magnus to teach him that spell later.

Upon entering the cottage, Raphael made a beeline to Ragnor's bedroom, leaving the rest behind. Magnus told the boys that they could go see how Ragnor's recovering later. It was best to give Ragnor and Raphael a couple of minutes of privacy and time to catch up.

When Isabelle asked what she could do since she only came with as babysitter, Magnus simply told her to find something to entertain herself with for the time being.

Magnus then detached himself from the group, saying that he was going to see if Catarina was still around.

Max, Rafael and Isabelle made their way to the Livingroom. They sat down on the couch and armchairs. Rafael had been smart enough to bring his tablet, knowing that he was just going to hang out at Ragnor's today.

Max, on the other hand, was feeling a bit anxious. He had struck a bargain with Ragnor the last time he was here: if he could recreate the portal – or at least try to- then Ragnor was willing to help them.

 _But what if I can't do it?_ Max thought. _What if Ragnor can't help us? What if he_ doesn't want _to help us anymore? What if we're stuck here and can never go home?_

 _Max had started to fidget with the hem of his shirt, a nervous habit that he had._

It seemed that Isabelle noticed that he was a bit nervous since she slid onto the couch next to him and drew him closer into her arms. She started to tell him a funny story. A memory about something that had happened to Jace, Alec, and her when they were younger.

Max found that lying against his aunt and listening to her telling an embarrassing story about his dad- or an alternate version of him- helped calm his nerves. He'd stopped fidgeting after a while and ended up grinning so much that his cheeks hurt.

When Magnus came back, he gestured for Max and Rafael to follow him. Max didn't know what he should've expected. Of course he'd hoped for the best, Ragnor was in pretty bad shape when he'd left. But he knew that Magnus was good at healing magic, and if Catarina had also treated him, then he'd be back to normal in no time.

When they entered the room, Ragnor was seated at the window as Raphael sat on the edge of the bed. Both of them were smiling and it seemed like they were having a good time. Upon seeing them, Ragnor stood up to greet them. 'Magnus! Rafael! And my little hero!'

'Your hero?' Raphael asked. 'What do you mean?'

'Magnus didn't tell you?' Ragnor inquired.

'It simply slipped my mind,' Magnus shrugged.

'Well, Max here is the only reason I'm still here!' Ragnor told Raphael. 'He was quick to react when that bloody demon attacked me. _And_ he cast a healing spell on me before Magnus could take over.'

Rafael slung his arm over Max' shoulders. 'Not to mention that he did it all while he was low on magic. He was practically drained.'

'Really?' Raphael raised an eyebrow. 'Impressive.'

Max blushed at their compliments. Anyone would've done the same in his position. Though he was quite flattered.

'Where's Catarina by the way?' Magnus asked. 'I thought she stayed to take care of you.'

'I don't need anyone to take care of me,' Ragnor scoffed. 'I'm _fine._ But Cat left about an hour ago to work a shift at the hospital. She'll come back later.' He turned his attention to Max. 'So, shall we start with recreating the portal?'

Max nodded. He could feel the nerves welling up again. Suddenly, Max heard Rafael's stomach growl. 'I guess it's time for lunch', Rafael grinned.

'How can you be hungry?' Max asked in disbelief. 'You ate _five_ pancakes for breakfast!'

Rafael shrugged. 'What can I say? I'm a growing boy.'

Max could hear the adults chuckle at their banter. 'Catarina brought some groceries with her yesterday', Ragnor told Rafael. 'Why don't you and Raphael go make some lunch? Maybe that shadowhunter girl could help as well.'

'No!' Raphael rejected, at the same time Rafael said, 'We're not letting her anywhere near the kitchen.'

After Rafael and Raphael left the room, Ragnor brought Magnus and Max to the attic. It was quite spacious. A good place for him to do magic.

'Do you remember how you made your last portal?' Ragnor asked.

'No I don't', Max pouted. 'I told you that the last time.'

'How about we start with making a normal portal?' Ragnor suggested.

Max nodded. _I can do that,_ he thought. He knelt on the ground and started to make a portal the way his papa had taught him to. When Max finished, he noticed that Magnus had left. He felt a bit disappointed and nervous now that Magnus wasn't with him anymore.

'Is it done?' Ragnor asked.

Max nodded. 'But I don't know if it works.'

Ragnor stepped forward and inspected the portal. 'One way to find out', he said. He conjured an apple in his and threw it into the portal. A few seconds later, Max heard a thud downstairs followed by Raphael crying out in pain. 'It works', Ragnor concluded. 'Well done kid.'

With a snap of Ragnor's fingers, the portal disappeared again. 'Now, let's have some fun', Ragnor grinned.

Max gulped.

'We're going to recreate the moment you made that portal', Ragnor told Max. 'I want you to run around, do a couple of jumps, summersaults, whatever. Just to get the adrenaline pumping.'

Max did as he was told. He was really enjoying doing all kinds of tricks and back flips and just running around until Ragnor told him to stop.

'Now, try to focus on making another portal as I add some noise to make it more realistic.' Ragnor snapped his fingers, and suddenly Max could hear people screaming and barking orders, he heard swords clashing and demons hissing. It was quite a shock. 'MAKE THE PORTAL NOW!' Ragnor yelled.

Max nodded and tried to create the portal. But his hand was quivering and he kept flinching at sudden noises. That made it really hard for him to focus on his task. But that was the whole point, wasn't it?

Max didn't know how long he's sat there, nor did he know how many failed attempts he'd made to create a portal. He'd tried, he really did, but none of his portals worked. It was incredibly frustrating and draining.

Max cried out in frustration. 'I can't do it anymore!'

He hugged his knees and felt the tears well up. All the sounds stopped at once and Max felt a hand rest atop of his shoulder. He looked up. 'You did well', Ragnor told him. 'You held out longer than I thought you would. I'm proud of you.' He stuck out a hand to help Max up. 'How about some lunch? It should be ready by now.'

.

.

.

Knowing he couldn't be at much of help, Magnus quietly sneaked down the stairs so he wouldn't break Max' concentration. Walking past the kitchen, Magnus could hear the two namesakes chatting away in rapid Spanish. Magnus was glad that the two were getting along. He'd hoped that Rafael could help lighten up the vampire's mood after everything that has happened. Magnus decided to leave the two alone and made his way to the living room.

He found Isabelle sitting lazily on the couch, using Rafael's tablet. She looked up when he entered the room. 'Shouldn't you be helping Max?' She asked.

'There's nothing I can do to help', Magnus replied as he sat down in an armchair across her.

Isabelle raised an eyebrow. 'Never thought I'd hear the great Magnus Bane confess that he isn't all-powerful.'

'Oh please,' Magnus scoffed, 'I _am_ powerful, but there are certain fields of magic that I simply haven't taken interests in.'

It was quiet.

'So,' Isabelle said, sitting up straight, 'Rafael told me that you know.'

'I know many things,' Magnus said, 'could you be a bit more specific?'

It was Isabelle's time to scoff. 'We both know that I'm talking about the fact that you're the baby daddy of my brother's children in an alternate universe.'

Magnus cringed. 'Please don't ever say that again.'

'You told me to be specific', she smirked.

'Tell me,' Isabelle continued, sounding more serious, 'How you feel about Alec.'

'Why would it matter anyway', Magnus sighed. 'He's too focused on his duties. It doesn't matter that he has no interests in marrying that shadowhunter girl, he'll do it anyway. _For you._ '

Isabelle sighed too. 'I know. Alec has always been that way. But that doesn't mean you should stop trying to convince him otherwise.'

'Oh, no,' Magnus said, 'I'm not stopping. And I've told him that too.'

'Good', Isabelle nodded. 'Cause you're the only one that can get through that thick head of his. He's head over heels in love with you and I want him to be happy. He deserves it.' She paused. 'Please don't let him marry her.'

'I'll do my best,' Magnus promised. 'But at the end of the day, it'll be his choice. I won't force him into doing anything he doesn't want.'

Isabelle smiled. 'I think you'd make a great brother-in-law.'

'Likewise', Magnus grinned. 'So, how did _you_ find out about the boys?'

Isabelle snorted. 'When two kids randomly appear in my room, call me their aunt and healed a warlock with rune magic, you'd bet your ass that I was getting some answers.'

Magnus laughed.

'Your turn', Isabelle said. 'Tell me _everything_ that happened.'

'It's a long story.'

'We have the time.'

.

.

.

Alec knocked before entering his mother's office.

'Alec.' his mother stood up from behind her desk and greeted him with a hug.

'Hi mom.'

Maryse glanced him over and frowned. 'Is that glitter in your hair? And on your face?' She asked. She reached out to touch him, but Alec dodged and ran a hand through his hair.

'There was a little accident with a pot of glitter' he told her.

'Are your nails painted?' She asked in disbelief.

'Well, uhm.' Alec felt a bit awkward under his mother's stare. 'Magnus let the boys paint his nails and they wanted to do mine too.' It was easy to read the disapproval on his mother's face, so he quickly changed the subject. 'Anyway, why don't we sit down? I'll tell you everything that has happened. That's what this meeting is about, isn't it?'

Reluctantly, Maryse took her seat behind her desk again. Alec sat down across her. Once seated, Alec started with his report. 'Right now, Magnus is bringing Rafael and Max to the warlock Ragnor Fell's house. He's specialized in dimensional magic so he's the one who can help the boys find a way home.'

'Without shadowhunter supervision?' His mother interrupted, her frown reappearing on her face. 'Alec, I thought I had been clear when-'

'Izzy is with them right now', Alec clarified.

Maryse' frown deepened. 'I don't think-'

Alec cut her off again. 'Mom, the boys like and trust Izzy. She knows what she's doing.

They're safe with her.'

Maryse looked like she wanted to say something, but decided against it. Alec took that as a sign to continue.

'We have a lead on where the book of the white might be. Magnus' friend, Raphael Santiago, he's the new leader of the vampire clan. Magnus will ask him about the location of Camille's apartment. The book should be there.'

'What's the price?' Maryse asked, her voice cold.

'What do you mean?'

'Warlocks don't do anything for free, Alec. Especially not for Shadowhunters. So what's the payment Bane requires?'

'Nothing', Alec answered. 'He didn't charge us anything.'

'Nonsense', she scoffed. 'I don't know what lies he's fed you, but he _will_ demand a price eventually.'

Alec felt a flare of irritation well up, but he managed to suppress it as he said, 'Then, when the time comes, I'll pay him whatever it is he desires.' _Gladly._ The last word almost slipped out of his mouth.

It fell silent. Eventually, Maryse caved and sighed. 'Just be prepared when he does,' she told him. Alec nodded.

'Don't say I didn't warn you', she added. Her mother might not believe it, but Alec knew that Magnus would never charge them for this. He was doing it for the people he cared about: for Jocelyn, for the boys. Magnus put would go great lengths for his friends, it was something Alec admired about him.

'Anyway,' Maryse said, a smile tugging at her lips, 'changing onto a different matter: I have some good news. Very good news, actually.'

'Really?' Alec was surprised, and also very eager to hear something positive for once.

'I received a message from the clave today. By preventing Hodge's betrayal and obtaining new information about Valentine, the Clave's trust in us has been restored. So we, the Lightwood family, are officially in charge of the New York Institute again!'

'That- That's wonderful!' Alec stammered, not quite believing what he heard. Now the Lightwoods' name was restored, along with the faith in their family in the eye of the Clave, there's no reason for him to marry Lydia. It felt like a huge weight has been lifted off his chest. _He could be with Magnus._ The thought made his heart flutter and fill with joy.

'Of course, this means that the Clave will assign Lydia another position.' Alec was brought out of his thought by his mother's voice. 'But,' she continued, 'it's only a matter of time before she'll be able to run this institute along with you as your wife. In a couple of years, when your father and I retire, it'll all be up to the two of you.' Her mother smiled fondly at the thought.

Alec, on the other hand, could only fake his smile as he nodded along with what she said. He had to talk to Lydia and Magnus first before he could tell his mother about the change of plans.

'Thank you, mom,' Alec said, standing out of his chair and making a move to leave. 'I'll go find Jace and tell him the news. That was the best news you could've told me.' This time, his smile was a genuine one.

He was about to open the door when Maryse called. 'Oh, and Alec, one more thing.'

Alec looked back, his hand still on the doorknob. 'Yes?'

'You'll stay home at the institute tonight,' she said. 'Your wedding day is almost upon us, I need you around to help with the preparations.' Alec's stomach dropped. He knew that it was all just an excuse to keep him away from Magnus.

'Of course, this doesn't mean you're off duty', his mother continued. 'You'll still have to go on patrol and keep an eye on that Rafael kid and the warlock.'

Alec's grip on the doorknob tightened. 'His name is Max,' Alec grumbled, feeling annoyed at his mother's choice of words.

'What did you say?' She asked.

'The name of the warlock,' Alec said, louder this time, 'is Max.'

Maryse waved off his comment. 'It doesn't matter, they'll be gone soon anyway if Bane does his job.'

Alec fought off the urge to snap at his mother. The boys were more than temporary inconveniences and a way for the Clave to find out more about interdimensional travel. He took a breath. There were more important matters that he should be worried about. 'If there's nothing else,' Alec said, keeping his voice as calm as he could, 'then I'll be going.'

He left before she could reply.

Alec walked aimlessly through the halls, entirely lost in his thoughts, until he bumped into someone. Alec snapped out of his thoughts and immediately started to apologize before he even saw who he bumped into.

'Lydia', Alec gasped. Just the person he needed to speak to. But isn't it a bit too soon to talk to her? Didn't he need the time to think things through, or at least find a way to translate his thoughts and emotions into words?

'Alec', Lydia greeted. 'Judging by the look on your face, I suppose that you've heard the news already.'

Alec nodded, not trusting his voice to be able to hide his panic.

'Then I think it's time the two of us had a talk.'

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.

.

Magnus would be lying if he'd said that he wasn't at least a bit worried about having both Isabelle and Raphael in the same room again. When they entered the dining room, Isabelle took the first seat she saw. Raphael sat down on the other side of the table, as far away from the shadowhunter as possible. Magnus let out a breath of relief. Though they tried their best to ignore the other, they didn't try to kill or assault each other. It was good enough for Magnus.

While they were eating, Magnus asked Max about his magic session with Ragnor. He was quite curious, especially after hearing all the noise that came from the attic. Max had averted his eyes and mumbled something about not being able to recreate a working portal. But both Magnus and Ragnor assured him that it was already an incredible feat that he could make a regular portal at the age of ten. That seemed to lighten his spirits.

During the rest of the lunch, Magnus chatted with his friends while the boys engaged in their usual playful banter, which was very entertaining. Though Magnus had to step in and a couple of time to prevent their banter from turning into quarrels. It earned him a couple knowing smiles from Isabelle and raised eyebrows from Raphael and Ragnor. He was sure that his friends would be joking about this for a long time.

After lunch, Isabelle made a comment about the food, saying that it was one of the best lunches she's ever had. When she asked Raphael about the recipe, he grudgingly told her that it was something his mother used to make. Though Magnus could see that his friend was happy that they enjoyed the food. Isabelle also volunteered to help Raphael with the dishes. _Progress,_ Magnus thought to himself.

Ragnor told Max and Rafael to follow him to his study, saying that he had a surprise for them. Magnus, who was also curious about this surprise, joined them.

'I've been doing some research', Ragnor said as he opened a dusty old book on his desk. 'And yesterday, when I was forced to stay in bed by our dearest Cat, I found this.' He turned the book to a certain page and showed it to them.

'What is it?' Max asked.

'It's a spell', Ragnor answered.

' _No shit'_ , Rafael muttered.

Ragnor either didn't hear him, or simply chose to ignore him. Magnus suspected the latter. 'With this spell, you can send a fire-message to any dimension. Though the hard part is figuring out _which_ dimension.'

'But you've figured out which one we come from?' Max asked. He sounded hopeful.

Ragnor ruffled the boy's hair. 'Yes, I did', he told him.

'But how did you do it?' Rafael asked.

'It was an intricate process', Ragnor admitted. 'And perhaps a bit too intricate to explain right now.' He took a piece of paper and a pen from his desk. 'Here, why don't you guys just focus on writing a letter home?'

.

.

.

Max and Rafael thought hard about what to write. They couldn't tell them _everything_ , that would never fit onto the small piece of paper. But they also wanted to make sure that their fathers knew that they weren't in any danger. Eventually, they settled on telling them that they were safe and that they missed them very much. It was Magnus' idea to add that they were trying to find a way back home. They signed the letter and handed it over to Ragnor. 'I just need a couple of ingredients for the spell', Ragnor told them. He walked towards one of the glass cupboards and took out some vials filled with substances Max didn't recognize.

'Let's go outside', Ragnor said. 'I don't want to burn my house down if this doesn't work.'

Max had just stepped outside when he heard a familiar voice. 'Ragnor! What are you doing out of bed?'

Max turned his head towards the voice and felt his heart drop. In front of him stood his aunt Catarina. But instead of the blue-skinned warlock that he knew so well, the woman in front of him was a long-haired, dark-skinned woman who looked exactly like her. The only blue that he could see on her was her uniform.

Max could feel the tears well up. _It's obvious that she'd glamour herself,_ Max thought bitterly. _If everyone else does it, then why shouldn't she?_ _Besides, she works as a nurse in a mundane hospital. If anyone needs glamour, it's her._ But it didn't make Max feel less like the odd one out. They were supposed to be a team, his aunt and him. She would always joke that the two of them were actually smurfs. It never failed to make him laugh.

Maybe that's why seeing her like this hit him harder than when he saw Magnus' or Ragnor's glamours. He'd seen her as an older version of him, his role model. A part of him had always thought that if his aunt Cat could do it, then he could too. Once again he was reminded the he wasn't in the same _universe._ That everyone here was different and not the people he knew. _That he should be trying to fit in instead of standing out._

He managed to shake out of his thoughts and blink back his tears. _If you can look confident,_ Max thought, remembering his dad's words, _then you'll start to feel confident too._ Though Max didn't know how much longer he could fake his confidence.

Max was smiling when he greeted Catarina. The rest had already moved to the center of the garden. He'd zoned out for a bit but he could see by the look on Ragnor's face that he'd probably been scolded by Catarina. 'You must be Max', Catarina greeted. She crouched down and pulled him into a hug. 'Magnus has told me so much about you.'

'He did?' Max asked, wondering when that'd happened.

'Yeah, he was desperate for help,' Cat said with a smile. 'He didn't have a single clue on how to handle kids like you.' Max frowned a bit, he hadn't thought about it. He didn't want to have been a burden to Magnus.

'But,' Catarina continued, 'when he called me this morning, he sounded way happier than I've ever heard before. He told me all about this brave little warlock who was proud of who he was, he told me about another boy who was the best older brother a kid could have. He told me that they were the sweetest angels, though they could be a bit mischievous.'

Max smiled. Her words made him feel a bit better, but his insecurities were still nagging at the back of his mind.

'Come', she said, holding a hand out. 'Let's see what they're up to.'

Together they walked over to the others.

'Okay, all set up', Ragnor said. He gestured for them to take a step back.

'Are you sure this is a good idea?' Catarina asked. She was still holding Max' hand. 'You're not fully recovered yet.'

'I can cast the spell', Magnus offered. 'You've done enough.'

'No', Ragnor declined. 'I made the bargain with boy. He's done his part, and now I'll fulfil mine.'

Max could see that both Magnus and Catarina weren't exactly happy with Ragnor's decision. But they said nothing more.

Ragnor started chanting the spell. He held their letter in his hand and threw it in the air as the chant came to an end. The letter burned with green flames and disappeared. Max hoped that it'd reach their fathers.

Max noticed that something wasn't all right with Ragnor, he seemed to sway a bit. A moment later, Ragnor was falling. 'Ragnor!' Catarina called out. She rushed forward, letting go of Max' hand. Max followed her.

Magnus reached Ragnor before the rest could and managed to catch him before he hit the ground. Raphael was at their side a second later. 'What happened?' He demanded as he knelt next to his friend.

Ragnor groaned. 'I'm fine!' He insisted. 'Just a bit tired, that's all. No need to act like I'm dying.'

'I knew that this would happen', Catarina scolded. 'You were way too weak to perform this kind of magic. You should've stayed in bed.'

'I'm agreeing with her on this one,' Magnus said.

'You're only saying this because you don't want to get on Cat's bad side', Ragnor scoffed.

'Well, you're not wrong, little cabbage of mine', Magnus shrugged.

'Don't call me that!' Ragnor protested. Raphael snorted.

Catarina sighed, but Max could see the smile tugging at her lips. 'Stop bickering and help me get him inside.'

'I've got this', Raphael said. He picked Ragnor up with his vampire strength and carried him back to the cottage, bridal style.

'Put me down!' Ragnor ordered. 'I can walk on my own!'

'I can't,' Max heard Raphael reply in his usual serious tone, 'Cat's orders.'

'Like hell she did!'

Magnus and Catarina were laughing like mad. Magnus had probably also snapped a few pictures of them.

Isabelle had finally made her way over to them. 'What's going on?' She asked. 'Why was Raphael carrying Ragnor?'

'Ragnor overexerted himself and now needs some bed rest', Catarina informed her. 'I don't think we've met. I'm Catarina Loss.' She stuck out a hand for Isabelle to shake. Isabelle shook it.

'Isabelle Lightwood, nice to meet you.'

'Likewise.'

In the meantime, Magnus had managed to restore his posture and cleared his throat. 'I think it's best for now to sent you guys back to the institute.'

Max pouted. He didn't want to return to the institute, he wanted to go back to Magnus' loft.

'I'll come get you guys later', Magnus told them when he noticed Max' pout. 'Promise.'

Max nodded reluctantly.

Magnus snapped his fingers and a portal appeared behind him. Waved Cat and Magnus goodbye before he stepped through.

.

.

.

When they returned to the institute, Isabelle told them that she had to go find Clary and go through some boring procedure before she could head out to Camille's apartment. Apparently Raphael had told her the address.

After she left, Rafael told him that he was going to find the other Max and ask him if he wanted to train. 'Do you want to join me?' Rafael asked.

Max remembered how it ended last time and decided against it. 'I'm tired', he told his brother. 'I'll go take a nap before Magnus comes to get us.'

'Okay', Rafael shrugged before leaving.

Max made his way through the institute halls. Once again, he could feel the stares of the shadowhunters on him. He picked up his pace.

When he had almost arrived at his room, he bumped into someone. Max hastily apologized and looked up. It was Maryse who he'd bumped into. She was scowling at him.

'What are you doing here?' She demanded.

'I- I was just going to my room', Max answered. He couldn't look her in the eyes, so he chose to look at his feet instead.

'Where's Isabelle? I thought that she was in charge of keeping an eye on you.'

'She said she had to go handle something before she could go out and find the Book of the White.'

'Look at me when you speak, boy', Maryse ordered.

Max did as he was told. He started to fidget with the hem of his shirt again.

'Where's Rafael?' Maryse continued.

'He's off to find someone to train with.'

'Like a good shadowhunter.'

Max nodded. He wanted to get out of there.

'Oh, I nearly forgot', Maryse said. 'The two of you will be staying here in the institute until we find a way to send you home.'

 _No!_ 'But- but Magnus said that he'll be picking us up later!'

'Well then someone will inform him of the change of plans', Maryse said calmly.

Max' shoulders sagged. 'Fine,' he said defeated. He stepped aside to continue his way to his room.

'And Max?' Maryse called after him. 'Don't forget what I said about demon marks.'

Max sprinted off before she could say anything else.

Max slammed the door behind him and dove under the duvet of his bed.

He felt the first sob well up. He had done his best to pretend to be confident, but now there's no more reason for him to pretend. Max let it all go.

He cried and sobbed and screamed into his pillow.

Eventually, he got tired. He laid still and stared at the ceiling. It was dark. His head hurt from crying and his throat from screaming.

Max mumbled out a single spell. Without looking, he knew that he now looked like his brother. The blue skin that he had always been so proud of turned into a darker shade of brown and his dark blue hair into the same raven hair like his dad and papa.

He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to be alone.

He wanted to be hugged and comforted by his dad and papa. He wanted to hear stories from his aunt Clary and uncle Jace. He wanted to sit with his uncle Si and aunt Izzy and ask them everything about the baby. He wanted his _real_ grandma and not the younger and meaner version of her.

He wanted to joke about being smurfs with Aunt Cat. He wanted to drink tea with Aunt Tess and uncle Jem and try to learn his accent.

He wanted to play with Octavian and watch horror movies with Dru. He wanted to eat the cookies only Helen and Aline know how to bake. He wanted to go to the beach in LA with all the Blackthorns and just lay in the sun.

 _He wanted to go home._

But he couldn't. So all he could do was cry.


	16. Chapter XVI

' _It's time the two of us had a talk.'_

They had gone to Lydia's bedroom for some privacy. Alec placed the chair from the dresser across the armchair Lydia sat in. Neither of them spoke.

Lydia took a deep breath. 'So, Alec,' she said, 'as you know, the Clave has returned the position of this Institute's leader back to the Lightwood family. Meaning that I'll soon be assigned a new mission elsewhere. I'd like to discuss where we stand with our relationship before that happens.'

'That's what I thought too', Alec agreed. Not 100% true, but it sounded better than 'I've been trying to find a way to get out of this engagement since day one'.

'I'm going to be honest with you', Lydia said with a sad smile. 'I knew that the only reason you proposed was to give your siblings a better future. That was very admirable. But a marriage won't make either of us happy- or as happy as we could've been with another.' She paused. 'Alec, you're a great guy, but you're not John and I'm _definitely_ not Magnus Bane.'

She chuckled when Alec blushed. 'How did you-'

'It has been obvious from the start', Lydia smiled. 'Whenever he walked into the room you'd stand a bit straighter, your eyes lit up when you looked at him, you'd start paying more attention when his name was mentioned during a meeting, and you were always the first to defend Magnus when someone made a comment. Plus, I saw the blush on your face the night you went home with Magnus and the kids. It was quite hard to have missed.'

Alec was surprised that Lydia had noticed all those details. He hadn't even noticed them himself.

'I felt terrible to have agreed to this engagement,' Lydia continued, 'knowing that I, in a way, trapped you and kept you from being happy with the one you loved.'

'No, you shouldn't think that!' Alec protested hastily. 'I was the one who proposed. It's my fault. I'm the one who put you in that situation. And I apologize.'

'There's no need for that', Lydia assured him. 'You only did what you thought was the right thing. That's why I'm going to do the right thing now.'

She looked him right in the eye.

'Alexander Lightwood', she said solemnly. 'I want to break off our engagement. If there's a chance to spare myself, ourselves, from the pain of a miserable marriage, then I'll do it. This was never going to work. We were both settling for the other. I'm still not over John, it'll probably still take a long time before I am, and you're in love with another man. So, Alec, what's your answer?'

'Thank you', Alec breathed. It felt like a gigantic weight had been lifted off his chest.

'You don't have to thank me,' Lydia smiled, 'I'm doing this for myself too.'

'If there's anything else I can do', Alec offered. 'Just tell me.'

'Well… there's one thing', Lydia said.

'What?' Alec asked.

'Can you be the one who informs the rest of our… decision?' Lydia asked. 'I know that everyone had been putting so much effort into _everything_.'

Alec groaned and rubbed his temples. He focussed so much on the breaking up part that he'd entirely forgotten about having to tell his mom about it. _By the Angel,_ he was _not_ looking forward to that conversation.

'I'll handle the rest', Lydia promised. '…Are you okay with that?'

Alec nodded. 'It's fine, I brought this onto myself', he assured her.

'I'm glad we had this talk', Lydia told him. 'I'm glad we could be honest with each other.'

'Me too', Alec said with a fond smile. They fell silent again, and Alec knew it was time for him to leave.

Lydia called him one more time before he left the room. He looked back.

'I hope this means we can still be partners on future missions', she said. 'You're the best shadowhunters I know.'

Alec grinned. 'Just give me a call whenever you need help, and I'll be there to help you kick some demon ass.'

He left after that, practically running through the hallways with a wide smile. He burst through Jace' door, surprising the shadowhunter. 'Alec, what-'

'We're going out. Right now', Alec told him. 'We have something to celebrate.'

'Really?' He asked, grabbing his jacket. 'What happened?'

'Something incredible', Alec answered.

Jace raised an eyebrow, a shit eating grin on his face. 'Alec, Did you get laid?' He asked. Then, just because he was such a drama queen, Jace placed a hand over his heart and said, feigning shock, 'By the Angel, Alec! With the kids nearby?!'

Alec gave his parabatai a playful shove. 'I wouldn't! And, no, I did not get laid.'

'Not yet', he added as a second thought.

Jace slung his arm over Alec's shoulders as they exited the room.

'Oh, Alec,' he said, 'I don't know what happened, but you'd better tell me all about it.'

.

.

.

 _Maryse arrived at the institute in the afternoon. Alec was waiting for her when she came through the portal. She pulled him into a crushing hug upon seeing him._

' _Alec, sweetie, how are you holding up?' She asked as they pulled apart._

' _Better', he answered. 'We know that the boys are safe right now, and Magnus is close to finding them.'_

 _Maryse let out a breath of relief. 'Oh, thank the Angel! I was so worried- scratch that, I'm still worried about them.'_

' _I know,' Alec said. 'So am I.' He took a breath. 'I won't be able to rest properly until they're back home.'_

' _Alec, I know how you feel', Maryse answered with a sad smile. 'And I also know the pain of losing a child. It's a throbbing pain that'll never go away, a nightmare that haunts you at night, a wound that never heals.' She looked him in the eyes. 'Alexander, I promise you that I'll do_ everything _in my power to make sure you'll never suffer the way I did.'_

 _Alec couldn't hold back the tears anymore. They streamed down his face as Maryse pulled him into another embrace._

 _The fear and panic he'd been feeling constantly for the past couple of days. His boys were missing, but they will come home, he'll make sure of that. But Max, Max who was killed in cold blood by Sebastian. Max, his little brother who never came home. Alec could only imagine the pain his mother went through- still goes through every single day._

' _Why does this happen?' he asked. 'Why can't I just stop having to worry about whether they're seriously injured or- or dead', he choked out. His mother's grip tightened._

' _I guess it's all part of the shadowhunter lifestyle', Maryse answered. 'Our kids are constantly off having dangerous adventures, and I guess sometimes all we can do is pray for their return. Though I must admit that your boys are truly something else compared to the other kids. At least the three of you never managed to get further than Brooklyn._

' _I worried every time you went on a mission. Especially during the first couple of missions I let you guys do on your own. And don't even get me started on when any of you came home hurt._

' _But I always knew that I could count on you to keep Izzy and Jace safe. Right now, there's not much we can do besides waiting. I have faith in the boys, they're strong, they're_ Lightwoods _.'_

' _They're Lightwood-Banes', Alec muttered into his mother's shoulder._

' _Even better', Maryse laughed. 'They have the best Lightwood traits_ and _they know magic. Besides, Rafael is even more protective of his brother than you were over siblings. He'll keep Max safe.'_

 _._

 _._

 _._

The lights were out when Rafael returned to Max and his room. Max was probably still napping, so Rafael decided to let his brother sleep until he was done showering.

Twenty minutes later, Rafael stepped out of the shower and changed into a clean set of clothes. He quietly made his way to the bed, it dipped under his weight as he crawled over to the center of the bed. He was about to wake his brother when Max suddenly latched onto him, knocking him over.

'Hey!' Rafael grinned, thinking that Max was just being playful. 'What are you doing?'

His smile faltered when he heard Max' sniffles.

'Maxie?' Rafael asked. 'What's wrong?'

Max didn't answer, he continued to sniffle against Rafael's chest. Rafael held his brother tightly, not knowing what else to do.

'Should I go get Izzy?' Rafael asked quietly. 'Or Alec? I don't know if he and Jace are back yet though.' He felt Max shake his head.

Rafael was incredibly confused. What could've set Max off like this? He was fine before. Then, it hit him: Maybe Max was just homesick.

'Hey, Maxie', Rafael said softly. 'Don't worry, it's going to be all right, I promise.' He stretched his arm out to turn on the lamp on the nightstand. ' _It's always better to have some light on when you're sad',_ that's what their dad always said. It took Rafael a bit longer with Max clinging onto him, but he managed eventually.

Rafael froze when he saw his brother in the light.

In his shock, he managed to make two simple observations:

One, Max wasn't blue anymore.

Two, Max was still clinging onto him, sniffling.

Rafael's shock quickly turned into white-hot anger. _Who could've done this to Max?_ Someone must've done something to him. Max would never have done this otherwise.

Rafael had a thousand questions for his brother, but his thoughts were too scrambled for him to find the actual words to speak.

Even though Rafael couldn't think straight, one thing was certain: Whoever pressured Max into changing who he was and made him cry was going to regret it.

'Max?' Rafael gritted. 'Who did this?'

Rafael took a deep breath when Max didn't answer.

'Please Max,' He pleaded, 'I can only help you if you talk to me.'

Again, Max remained silent. Rafael sighed. Max wasn't going to answer anytime soon.

Rafael couldn't even remember the last time Max was so upset. He wished that his papa and daddy were with him, they'd know what to do. Or at least who they needed to beat up for making Max cry.

Rafael blinked his own tears away, crying wouldn't improve the situation and he needed to be strong for Max. He tried to focus. What should he do next?

He was brought out of his thoughts by the rumbling of Max' stomach. Suddenly, Rafael was reminded that he originally came to wake Max up for dinner.

'Max, are you hungry?' Rafael asked.

Max nodded.

'Then let's go get dinner', Rafael said. 'We'll make a quick trip to the kitchen and we can bring it back here if you want.'

Max shook his head. 'You go', he croaked.

Rafael tried to come up with an excuse to get Max out of the room. He didn't want to leave his brother alone when he was like this. Besides, they could bump into Alec, Izzy or Clary on their way to the kitchen, they could help Max better than Rafael could.

'But Max', Rafael countered, 'I can't carry all that food on my own.'

'Liar', Max mumbled against his shirt. 'You're a shadowhunter.'

'But what if I accidentally get all the food you don't like', Rafael said. 'You're a picky eater, Max.'

Max was quiet for a little while. 'Fine', he grumbled eventually. Max let go of Rafael and sat up.

'Let's go wash your face before we leave', Rafael suggested, looking at Max' puffy eyes.

Max shook his head. ' – Don't have to', he mumbled. Max snapped his fingers and his puffy eyes disappeared in an instant, he looked perfectly normal.

Except for the fact that he still looked like a Latino instead of a blue warlock.

Seeing Max perform his perfect glamour only made Rafael worry even more. _How often had Max done that? How many times had Rafael failed to pick up that something was wrong with Max?_

Rafael took a breath and tried to let it go for the moment. He shouldn't be pressuring Max even more. He would open up when he was ready.

'Let's go get some dinner.'

.

.

.

Max clearly felt uncomfortable leaving the bedroom. He held onto Rafael's hand tightly, kept his head down and shuffled closely behind Rafael.

Rafael held his head up high and glared daggers at anyone who dared to look their way. Most people kept on walking, though not without sending curious glances their way. Some started whispering when they passed. Rafael's irritation flared whenever that happened and he would mutter a spell that'd make their clothes itchy for the rest of the day. It was subtle, but worked like a charm. He was glad he'd made Max redraw the alliance rune on him that morning.

Max was the first to come up to them.

'Raf! Max!' The boy called as he ran up to them. 'You guys heading towards the kitchen?'

'Yeah', Rafael answered. He wasn't in the mood to talk to Max right now. Not when his brother was hurting like this.

Max started to talk about dinner and that he'd heard they were trying out some special recipes for the wedding. He hadn't picked up on Max' change in appearance yet.

'Mom said that-Oh! Max, you look different', Max noted suddenly. 'Did you glamour yourself?'

Rafael shot him a look, which Max picked up quickly.

'I mean, you look pretty awesome, but I think blue's more your color.' He added. Rafael saw the boy frown when he noticed Max wasn't in the best mood.

'Are you okay?' He asked. Max didn't answer.

'You know what always cheers me up? Manga. They help me keep my mind off things. I'll bring some of my favorites to you later. Wait, no. I'll go get them now.' Max raced back to his room without another word. Rafael was glad that Max was trying to cheers his brother up, but to be honest, he was also kind of glad that he could glare at strangers in peace again.

Rafael bumped into a man right after Max had left.

The shadowhunter scowled at him. 'Watch where you're going.'

Rafael returned the scowl and glared at the man. He was about to tell him to fuck off when the shadowhunter opened his mouth.

'Hey, look. It seems like the little downworlder finally had the decency to glamour that hideous demon mark. Glad you did the appropriate thing, _kid.'_

Rafael froze. It took him a second to process what he'd just heard. His blood boiled, couldn't believe that a random stranger would make such a hateful and hurtful comment towards Max, who was _still a child._

'WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY TO MY BROTHER?!'

In his rage, Rafael summoned a blue fireball in his hand. He could see the man pale and sputter incomprehensible words, reaching for his blade. Rafael would've thrown the fireball in his face if Jace hadn't shown up and placed himself between Rafael and the other shadowhunter.

'What the- CALM DOWN!' Jace yelled. 'Put your blade away', he told the man. 'And for god's sake, distinguish that fire ball!' Rafael hesitated, but did as he was told after a moment.

'Did you hear what he said about Max?!' Rafael cried.

'As a matter of fact, I did', Jace said, deadly calm. He turned towards the man. 'We'll be having a little _talk.'_

He turned to face Rafael and Max again. 'But first-'

Max let go of Rafael's hand and ran, back towards their room.

'You're not off the hook', Jace told the man before he ran after Max.

Rafael wanted to follow them, but he couldn't let the shadowhunter go unpunished. Rafael knew he couldn't fight the shadowhunter without getting himself – and more importantly, Max- in trouble. So he gritted his teeth and muttered a sling of curses before running off. For the next couple of days, that asshole would: pee his pants randomly, get explosive diarrhea, _and_ stub his toes as frequently as possible. Served him right for being a racist dick towards his brother.

Rafael heard a sling of curse words followed by some mysterious quacking as he ran through the hallway. He ran faster, but he didn't see Jace _or_ the duck anywhere. _It doesn't matter,_ Rafael thought. Max was more important. He picked up his pace and sprinted towards his room. The door was locked when he arrived.

Rafael knocked.

No answer.

He knocked again. 'Max, please let me in', he pleaded.

Once again, no answer.

Rafael sighed and slid down against the door. He pressed an ear against the door, but he couldn't hear a thing.

Then an idea came to him. Rafael knocked on the door again.

'Do you want to build a snowman?' He sang. 'C'mon let's go and play~' It's a game Max liked to play. He loved Frozen. Rafael muttered a familiar spell between the lyrics. And even though he couldn't see it, he knew that it was snowing a tiny bit where Max sat.

At the end of the song, the door opened just wide enough for Rafael to slip through. Rafael didn't waste any time and scrambled to his feet. The door locked himself after Rafael got into the room. Max sat a couple of feet away, surrounded by snow and there was a little snowman in front of him. Rafael immediately held his brother in a tight hug and let Max sob against him. The snow and ice made it quite uncomfortable, but Rafael paid it no heed. At that moment, all that mattered was Max.

.

.

.

 _After the emotional talk with his mother, Alec headed towards the training room to clear his head. Alec couldn't forget about his sons entirely, but sparring with Simon helped. Especially since he was incapable of being silent._

' _Izzy is due in 4 weeks and I'm honestly freaking out', Simon confessed during their spar. Alec raised his blade to block his attack. 'I know there's this whole 'no mundane technology' thing going on, but I want Izzy to give birth in a hospital instead of in the infirmary with a silent brother. No offense, but I feel safer with her surrounded by highly educated doctors.' He jumped back to avoid Alec's blade. 'According to Google, giving birth is the most dangerous thing a woman can do. Well, it's the most dangerous thing for mundane women.' Their blades clashed. 'What if something goes wrong? What if her Umbilical is wrapped around her throat? There's no way the silent brothers can see that! I don't even know if they_ can _see. What if she needs an emergency C-section? I'm freaking out, and Izzy refuses to go to the hospital. And to be honest, I don't know why shadowhunters have such a dislike for technology. You'd think that they'd appreciate methods lessen the chance of certain death in a cult like this.'_

 _Alec disarmed Simon in an instant, ending their spar. He walked over to pick up the fallen blade in the corner of the room. 'Look, Simon,' he said as he handed the blade back to Simon, 'I know you're worried, but Izzy will be fine. They'll_ both _be fine.' Alec paused to let his words sink in. 'And as a 'celebrity' shadowhunter family, it's hard to keep things private. Almost everyone knows about Izzy's pregnancy. The silent brothers will be expecting her. Have you even thought about the possibility that she's just trying to protect herself and_ you? _If the Clave finds out she broke the law, the two of you can risk getting your marks stripped.'_

 _Simon's shoulders slumped. 'Oh', he breathed. 'I hadn't thought about that in that way.' Simon sighed. 'Maybe it's worth the risk then. Though I still think the hospital is the safest option.'_

 _Alec placed a hand on Simon's shoulder. 'I said that it was hard, but it's not impossible.'_

 _Simon looked up. 'How?' He asked._

' _I'm sure we'll be able to find a way', Alec smiled. 'Only the best for Izzy, right?'_

' _Yeah', Simon grinned._

' _I'll go talk to her about it later', Alec told him. 'Maybe hearing it from her big brother will change her mind.'_

' _Thank you', Simon said. 'I really appreciate it.'_

' _That's what family's for', Alec answered. He took a step back. 'Now, how about another round? You won't be able to train much after your little girl's born.'_

' _It can't be that bad', Simon frowned, getting into position. 'Everyone keeps saying that it'll be hell, but how hard can it be?'_

' _Oh, you just wait and see', Alec smirked. 'I'm going to enjoy telling you 'I told you so'.'_

 _Simon was about to answer when the door opened and Magnus came stumbling in._

' _Alexander!' He panted. 'I found them!'_

.

.

.

Alec was having an amazing day (aside from the incident that morning). First, his mother gave him the best news he could possibly imagine. Then he had the talk with Lydia, which when surprisingly well. And after that, he had the time of his life celebrating the news with Jace.

But it all changed when Jace told him what had happened with Max.

Alec wanted to go to Max directly after he heard the news, but there was something he had to handle first.

With Jace' descriptions, Alec managed to find the guy who'd harassed Max. Alec had never seen him around before. He was probably one of the shadowhunters The Clave sent as extra backup for the whole Valentine situation.

Alec challenged the guy under the guise of a 'friendly' sparring session, though they both knew that it wasn't going to be a pleasant experience. At least, not for the other shadowhunter. Alec was going to enjoy it as much as he could. Needless to say, the guy would think before he opened his mouth in the future.

Isabelle handed Alec a towel after the fight. 'Thanks', Alec said.

'I wished I could've been the one to kick his ass', Izzy huffed. 'I would've knocked him down so hard he'd-'

'Okay, Izzy', Alec interrupted. 'I think that asshole has learned his lesson.'

Alec took a sip from his water bottle. 'I thought you went hunting for the Book of the White. Did you find it?'

'Yes, we did', Isabelle answered proudly. 'Clary has it now. We'll give it to Magnus tomorrow morning so he can prepare the spell to wake Jocelyn up.

'Did you know, by the way, Camille had the book hidden in her _gigantic_ library? It took _ages_ for us to find it. Anyway, during our search, I got to talk with Simon. You know, Clary's best friend.'

Alec nodded. He knew who Simon was, but he had no idea where this conversation was headed.

'He's actually a pretty nice guy', Isabelle continued. 'And there's something about him. He's … different. Yeah, he's different than most of the guys I know. In a good way, of course. _And_ he's kinda cute.'

' _Izzy'_ , Alec warned. ' _Please_ don't tell me you-'

'Don't go making any assumptions!' Isabelle hit him on his arm. 'I've only said that kinda cute, not that I'm head over heels in love with him and want to have his babies.'

'You're going to have whose babies?' Jace asked, walking up to them. 'It's not that faerie, right?'

' _No_ ', Izzy snapped. 'I was talking about Simon, not Meliorn.'

'The nerd?' Jace frowned. 'Why would-'

'How's Max doing?' Alec asked, changing the subject. He was not going to hear his siblings bicker about boys.

'I don't know', Jace answered. 'Probably locked in his room with Rafael.'

'Someone needs to go check on them', Isabelle said. 'But if we all go at once it'll overwhelm them. So who's going?'

'Don't look at me', Jace said. 'I tried to go after him and I ended up being chased by a duck. I'm not risking it again.'

Alec snorted. He wondered how Max knew about Jace' phobia for ducks. He figured that Isabelle was most likely the one that told them.

Alec was about to suggest that he'd be the one to check up on the boys when his little brother walked up to them with some books in his hands. No, not books, comics?

'Hey', Max greeted, there was a frown on his face. 'Have you guys seen Raf or Max? Max seemed pretty down so I told him I'd borrow him some of my mangas. They were headed for the kitchen the last time I saw them, but they weren't there. I passed by their room, but they didn't seem to be there either.'

'What do you mean?' Alec asked concerned. 'They weren't in their room?' This wasn't good. Alec was supposed to keep an eye on them and keep them safe. He'd already failed Max by not being there when he needed him- or any other adult for that matter. Alec couldn't let them roam through New York at night by themselves if they'd run away. Especially with Valentine out there.

'Well,' Max said, 'the door was locked, so I knocked. But no one answered. Do you know where they are?'

Alec let out a breath of relief. The boys were still in the Institute. He knelt down in front of Max.

'It's very nice of you to try to cheer Max up with your Mangas', Alec told him. 'But right now, I think he wants to be left alone for a little while.'

'Why?' Max asked. 'Did something happen? Max did look different. He glamoured himself.'

'Yeah,' Alec said, 'he did.'

'Is that why he's upset?' Max asked confused. 'But he did it on his own right? Why would he be sad about it? Mom said that it's a good thing when Warlocks cover up their marks.'

Isabelle scoffed behind them.

Alec sighed. He tried to find a way to explain the situation to his brother. 'You see,' he said, 'sometimes people don't want to hide who they are. But because they are scared of what others might say or think about them, they change and hide the truth. And it hurts them very much.'

'I don't understand', Max frowned.

'All shadowhunters have runes on their bodies when they're old enough, right?' Alec said, trying another approach.

Max nodded.

'And in a couple of months, you'll get your own ones', Alec continued. Max nodded enthusiastically. 'But what if I told you that those runes were shameful and you had to hide them.'

'I would never!' Max protested. 'They are part of who I am!'

'Exactly', Alec said. 'You're proud of who you are, and that's good. But if you didn't cover your runes, you'll be bullied by the others. They'll make nasty comments about that.'

'Then I'll just fight them', Max huffed. 'I'll fight anyone who has something against it.'

'But you can't fight everyone', Alec countered. 'And if you did, people will assume that every shadowhunter is aggressive and dangerous. It'll make the bullying worse for you, but also for every other shadowhunter who didn't do anything.'

'Oh', Max said sadly. 'I think I get it now. Max was bullied for his blue skin and horns… But mom said-'

He was cut off by Isabelle. 'Not everything mom says is right.'

'She won't be happy to hear that', Max said.

'And you don't have to tell her that', Alec assured him. 'What Izzy's trying to say is that sometimes you need to make your own judgment of what's wrong or right.'

'Okay', Max nodded. 'I'll bring these mangas back to my room then.'

'I'm sure Max would love to read them with you when he feels better', Alec said.

Max smiled and walked away.

'That was a good talk, Alec', Isabelle told him. 'You explained it really well. He understood what you meant.'

'Yeah, well I couldn't exactly tell him that our mom's kind of a racist', Alec grimaced.

'That's why you're the one who does the talking', Isabelle grinned. 'If it were me, we'd be having a family meeting right now.'

Alec snorted. 'Yeah, you might even get us all kicked out of the institute. Anyway, I'll go check up on the boys. Let's hope I don't get cursed.'

.

.

.

 _Alec waited impatiently in the library for the others to come. In all his years of hunting and going on missions, he'd never geared up that fast before. He went through his mental checklist again, just to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything._

 _Bow: Check._

 _Quiver filled with arrows: Check._

 _Seraph blade: Check._

 _Backup seraph blade: Check._

 _Necklace with Max' crystal: Check._

 _Parabatai to apply runes with: Late._

 _Alec tapped his foot. How long does it take to gear up and arm yourself?!_

 _He took a breath and tried to calm himself._

 _It was no use, he was way too worked up. He was_ so _close to having his boys in his arms again._

 _If the others would just_ hurry up!

 _Behind him, Magnus seemed to have finished the portal. A moment later, Alec felt a pair of arms slip around his waist. Alec leaned back into the comforting embrace._

' _Hey', Magnus breathed, resting his head on Alec' shoulder._

' _Hey', Alec answered._

' _We're getting our boys back', Magnus whispered, sounding like he couldn't quite believe it._

' _Yeah', Alec breathed. 'We are.'_

 _They stayed like that for a little while and only broke apart when the library door opened. Jace stepped in, dressed in his black leather gear. Clary, Simon, Izzy, and Maryse followed._

 _Being eight months pregnant, it was obvious that Izzy wouldn't be joining them on this mission. But Alec was surprised to see his mother dressed for combat._

' _Mom?' Alec asked in disbelief. 'What-'_

' _I'm going, Alec', Maryse said, not looking up from the rune she was drawing on her hand. 'They're my grandsons and I'll be damned if I'm not part of their rescue mission.'_

' _But-' Alec started. He was cut off by his sister._

' _Oh, shut it Alec', she snapped. Izzy was quite temperamental these days. 'Stop arguing with mom and focus on bringing my nephews home.'_

Right.

 _Izzy pulled him into a hug. 'Be safe', she murmured into his shirt. 'I hate being pregnant. I want to go with you guys! I feel so useless staying behind.'_

 _Alec kissed her on the top of her head. It was something that he could do now since Izzy couldn't wear heels anymore. 'You focus on keeping yourself and my niece safe. We'll be back before you know it.'_

' _That better be true', Izzy scoffed as she pulled away. 'I'll be waiting with Taki's. We'll have a celebratory feast afterward.'_

 _Alec grinned. 'Sounds great.'_

 _Within five minutes, Alec was ready and stood in front of the portal that'd lead him to his sons. He pulled an arrow out of his quiver._

' _Let's go.'_

 _._

 _._

 _._

Magnus knew that he probably should've texted Alec that he'd be late. Catarina had done a full body check on Ragnor after they'd left and made sure that he wasn't in any kind of danger. Raphael had lifted Ragnor back to his bed, after that Magnus had decided to stay and catch up with his friends.

Raphael had complained to Catarina about how Magnus' 'new shadowhunter besties' had made his life a living hell with that Camille stunt they pulled. And Cat, that traitor, had sided with Raphael and then started to tell him how Magnus had called her the night before, begging –an exaggeration- for her help with the boys and Alec. The two of them continued to make fun of Magnus for the rest of the afternoon. It only worsened when Ragnor joined them, after he convinced Catarina and Raphael that he was truly feeling better. Seriously, he needed better friends.

But all in all, it was nice to hang out with Cat, Raphael, and Ragnor again. Even though 80% of their conversation were jokes made at his expense. Magnus had forgotten about time until he heard the Cuckoo clock chime at seven. It reminded him that he still had to pick up Max and Rafael from the Institute.

Magnus hoped that the boys were doing all right. He knew that Rafael would be fine, but Max was an entirely different matter. The institute wasn't exactly a downworlder friendly place, especially not to unglamoured warlocks like Max. Magnus hoped that nothing happened while he was away. Max's a good kid, he didn't deserve the shit some of those shadowhunters gave him.

 _Maybe we could watch a movie tonight to make up for me being late,_ Magnus thought as he stepped into the portal. He liked that idea, snuggling on the couch with Alec and the boys.

His plans, however, crumbled the moment he arrived at the main hall of the New York Institute. Because a blue-eyed, older looking Alec Lightwood stepped out of a portal in the middle of the room.

.

.

.

Alec brought food with him when he went to check up on Rafael and Max.

He balanced the second plate on his left arm while he knocked on the door with his free one.

'Max? Raf?' He called through the door. 'I brought dinner. I know you're hungry, so please open up.'

Alec could hear feet shuffling behind the door. The door had just creaked open when a loud voice bellowed through the Institute. 'RAF! MAX!' The voice sounded familiar, but Alec couldn't quite place it.

In an instant, the door was slammed open and the boys rushed past him. Alec had to put the plates down before rushing after them. They were already out of his sight by then. Alec followed the sounds to where the commotion was coming from. He stopped dead in his track when he arrived at the main hall. Max and Rafael were clutching onto Magnus and an older version of himself.

' _Oh_ ', he breathed. _It all made sense now._

The reason why they'd trusted him almost instantly.

The reason why they kept trying to set Magnus and him up.

 _The reason why that day they spent at Magnus' felt like it was meant to be._

Alec stood frozen. He didn't know what to do.

.

.

.

Rafael rushed out of the door, and sprinted as hard as he could. Max was close behind him.

 _There_ , surrounded by a large group of other shadowhunters, stood his papa, right next to his dad.

'Papa!' Rafael called, tears filling his eyes. 'Dad!' He squeezed through the other shadowhunters and jumped right into Magnus' arms. Max did the same, jumping into Alec's arms.

'Oh, Rafael', his father murmured into his hair. 'Oh, I've been so worried.'

Rafael sniffled. 'I missed you.'

Magnus held him tighter. 'I missed you too. I missed you so much.'

'Max!' Alec gasped next to him. 'What happened?'

.

.

.

Alec dropped his bow when he saw two small figures running towards him. He saw Rafael leap into Magnus' arms and felt Max tackled him into a tight hug. Max sniffled into his shirt. Alec felt his eyes water, but he blinked the tears. He'd save the tears for when they were back home again.

Alec kissed the top of Max's head. 'It's okay, Max', he whispered, rubbing circles on Max' back. 'You're safe. We're going home together.'

Max looked up and Alec gasped. 'Max! What happened?'

Max… _wasn't blue anymore._

Alec's scanned Max for injuries. He found none. But Max' eyes were red and swollen, it was obvious that he'd been crying.

Alec's blood boiled. Someone was going to pay for making Max cry.

Alec slowly put Max down. 'Go to your Papa', he told Max.

Alec picked up his fallen bow and arrow while Magnus fussed over Max.

He strung his bow.

'Now tell me', he said, voice booming through the silent room, 'which one of you fuckers made my son cry.'

.

.

.

Max walked over to his father, who pulled him into a bone-crushing hug.

'My little blueberry', Magnus murmured. 'It's all right now. Papa's here.'

Max didn't dare to look up and face his father. He knew that he'd be disappointed in him.

'Can you tell me what happened?' Magnus asked tentatively.

Magnus sighed when Max didn't answer. 'It's okay', he assured him. Magnus kissed the top of Max' head. 'You don't have to say anything right now. Go to your brother, I'll handle everything else with your father.'

Max nodded. He looked up, searching for Rafael. Max found him standing next to- next to their grandmother.

Max' breath hitched, his palms became sweaty. He knew that the woman in next to Raf was not the same Maryse as the one he had gotten to know in the past days, but he was still hesitant to walk up to her.

'Max!' Maryse gasped when Max gathered up the courage to walk over. 'What happened to you?'

She reached out to touch Max, but Max flinched away from her touch. 'Oh', his grandmother breathed. Her eyes shot to where the other Maryse stood. She was a smart woman, she knew what had happened without Max having to tell her. 'I'm so sorry that you had to go through that, Maxie. Granma's going to handle everything. Raf told me they took your steles and seraph blades. I'll make sure they give them back to you.' Max still couldn't look at her. 'Izzy's waiting back home with Taki's, and we can go out for ice cream when we're back home again, like we always do.'

Max relaxed. _This_ was the Maryse he knew: The loving grandmother who knew just how to cheer him up. Max hugged her. His grandmother ruffled his hair.

'How are you going to that?' Max croaked. His throat was dry from all those hours of crying.

'Don't worry', Maryse smiled mischievously, 'grandma's had years of experience with these kinds of people. I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve.'

.

.

.

' _Which one of you fuckers made my son cry.'_

Alec looked at his older self threatening the shadowhunters of the Institute. He knew that he was supposed to do something. Or at least say something. But he found himself unable to speak. It could be because he was still trying to comprehend this bizarre situation. How often do you get to stare at an alternate version of yourself right after you found out the kids you've been babysitting were actually your sons from another universe?

But his incapability of speech could also have been caused by him being intimidated by the display of pure rage on Alec's face. Alec never knew that he could look so intimidating. Also, he didn't want to get shot. Knowing himself, the other Alec would definitely shoot first and ask questions later when he was angry. Nothing fatal of course, but it would still hurt like hell.

The other Magnus stepped next to his husband? Boyfriend? He looked equally pissed as Alec's older self. Alec noted that his eyes catlike and yellow instead of dark brown. The way Magnus, _his_ Magnus _,_ had looked that morning. Alec found that he liked the yellow irises more than the brown ones. It made him look more like _Magnus,_ however weird that might sound.

Alec flinched when the other Magnus summoned a ball of fire. The shadowhunters around him all reached for their weapons.

'I haven't rested in 28 hours,' Magnus spoke, 'and I'm tired to the bone. But believe me when I say that I'm still capable of burning this place down to the ashes.'

Of course, no sane person stepped forward to confess their racist behaviors. Alec scanned the crowd, trying to find the asshole who ran into Max earlier, but he was nowhere to be found. Alec figured that he was probably back in his room, licking his wounds.

Suddenly, Magnus' flames dissolved. ' _You_ ', Magnus spat. ' _Coward!'_ Alec followed his line of sight. _Magnus._

.

.

.

'Wait!' Max called out. He rushed over to where his fathers and Magnus stood before his father could unleash his fury on the wrong person. 'He didn't do anything.'

'I think that's part of the problem', His papa said, his voice laced with anger and disappointment. 'Hiding his mark like it's shameful.'

'He was the one who took care of Raf and me!' Max told him. 'He helped us send a letter back to you. He's not the one who-' Max bit his lip. He couldn't finish his sentence.

'But who did?' His dad asked. 'If-'

The clacking of heels on the marble floor interrupted the interrogation. Max saw his grandma walk over to the other Maryse.

.

.

.

Maryse walked towards the younger parallel version of herself with steady steps. Her face revealed nothing of the rage she felt inside. Maryse'locked her eyes with the ones of her younger self, challenging her to say _anything._ Maryse halted a foot in front of herself.

The room was silent. The tension so thick that she could've cut it with a seraph blade. Everyone waited in nervous anticipation, not daring to say a word.

'Return Max and Rafael's blades and steles', Maryse demanded, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

'A downworlder has no right to possess the weapons of a shadowhunter', the other Maryse spat.

Maryse could hear her son storm over, but she held up a hand to stop him.

'The weapons were my gift to my grandson', Maryse said calmly, trying her best to keep herself from gritting her teeth. 'They were approved by the Clave.'

'The Clave would never agree to such outrageous demands.'

'Our Clave _did',_ Maryse said. 'And if you would return the weapons, we'll leave.'

Her parallel seemed to think for a second. 'Izzy!' She called, not breaking eye contact.

Maryse heard the rushing footsteps, followed by Max thanking Isabelle a little while later.

'It's done', the other said.

'Indeed', Maryse said with a little smile. She turned her back to her younger self, before she spun back around. 'Oh, and one more thing…' Maryse raised her fist and punched the other Maryse in the face. It was over before anyone noticed anything. One moment they stood nose to nose, and then Maryse was nursing her knuckles while the other was stumbling from the punch. One of the shadowhunters helped the other Maryse steady herself.

' _Don't mess with my family',_ Maryse spat. 'And grow up. Nothing good will come from being a close-minded _bitch._ '

Maryse turned around. For real this time. The whole room was gaping at her. Jace –her Jace- was smirking with his phone in his hand. He had probably filmed the entire thing. Maryse could barely keep herself from smiling, but she managed. Though not without _a lot_ of effort.

.

.

.

Izzy brought Rafael and Max their weapons.

Max held his blade and stele in his hand. The familiar weight was reassuring and made him feel a bit more confident.

Behind him, he could hear his parents whisper.

'Magnus, can you-'

From the corner of his eye, Max saw his father shook his head. 'He has to do this on his own.' Max heard. He knew that they were talking about his glamour.

'Max', Magnus said. Max turned his attention to the warlock kneeling in front of him. 'I'm sorry I wasn't here for you today.'

' 's not your fault. Is Ragnor all right?' Max asked. He could hear his father gasp at the mention of his friend.

'Yeah, he is', Magnus answered. 'He'll be back to normal in no time.'

Max was relieved. He liked the other warlock and he knew both Magnuses were also really fond of Ragnor.

'I have a proposition', Magnus said. 'I promise to _never_ glamour myself again if you undo yours.'

Max hesitated, but Magus continued. 'You've shown me that I don't need to hide who I am. Who cares about what those stuck up shadowhunters think. It's time for me to be true to myself and accept who I am. It took me way too long to figure that out, but I understand it now, thanks to _you._ '

'Besides', he added. 'Raf and you spend so much time picking out an outfit that'd match my eyes, I'd be a walking fashion disaster if I didn't drop my glamour.'

Max chuckled. 'Pinkie promise?' He asked, holing out his pink.

Magnus curled his pink around Max'. 'Pinkie promise.'

'We'll do it together', Magnus said. 'Three, two, one…'

Max dropped his glamour at the same time Magnus did. It was as if a heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders, he felt free again.

Max hugged Magnus. 'Thank you', he whispered.

'No, thank _you',_ Magnus whispered back.

Just before Max pulled away, he said: 'Promise you'll find the Raf and me of this universe.'

'I promise I'll do everything I can to find them', Magnus promised him.

'Good.'

.

.

.

It was time to say goodbye to the rest. Rafael could feel the wary eyes of the other shaowhunters following them, but he ignored them. Alec trailed Max and Rafael as they said goodbye to those who'd helped them. They started with Alec.

Both Rafael and Max hugged him tightly.

'Please don't get married.' Rafael told Alec, keeping his voice low so only the four of them could hear.

'You're getting married?' His father asked, raising an eyebrow.

'Sort of', Alec answered. 'Didn't you see the decoration?'

'Oh!' The older Alec said. 'I thought you were planning a funeral! White flowers, white linen, white everything.'

The other Alec shook his head, chuckling. 'The boys said the same thing. I guess there's quite a difference between our worlds.'

'But you _really_ shouldn't marry Lydia.' Max said, leading the conversation back to the original subject.

'You're marrying a woman?' their father asked in disbelief. 'You know that there's an incredibly hot warlock standing over there, right? Are your eyes working clearly?'

'Eeew!' Rafael scrunched his nose in disgust. 'Don't say that!'

Alec grinned at Rafael's reaction. 'Sorry.' He turned back to the other Alec. 'But seriously though, think about what you're doing and the choice you're making. Which, by the way, is obviously the most stupid choice you could possibly make. What's wrong with you?'

The other Alec smiled. 'Don't worry,' he reassured them. 'I know what to do.'

'You'd better', Alec scoffed. Max giggled. They finished saying goodbye to Alec and walked over to Izzy, Clary, and Jace.

.

.

.

Max hugged each one of them.

'I'm sorry I sent that duck after you', Max apologized to Jace. 'You were just trying to help.'

'Don't worry about it', Jace grinned. 'It was a perfectly reasonable thing for you to do.'

Isabelle and Clary both gave him a strange look.

'Though the duck is still somewhere in this institute', Jace continued. 'I guess I won't be able to rest until Alec gets rid of that bloodthirsty monster.'

They laughed at Jace' solemn tone.

'I wanted to thank the two of you', Clary said after the laughter died down. 'It would've taken so much longer to wake mom up without your help.'

'We just told you what we knew', Rafael shrugged.

'Well, thanks anyway', Clary smiled.

Isabelle reached over to the table behind her. 'Here', she said, handing Rafael his tablet.

'I thought it was in my room!' Rafael said. 'I didn't think I could go back and get it. Thank you!'

'You're welcome', Izzy smiled. She shot a look to where her brother was staring at Magnus. 'I think our plan worked. Good job, guys!' She high-fived them.

'Oh, I'm going to miss the two of you so much!'

.

.

.

One by one they walked through the portal. Alec, Magnus, Rafael, and Max were the last ones to step through the portal.

Just before Max was about to step through, a voice called out.

'Wait!'

They turned around to see a boy squirm through the crowd of shadowhunters.

'You can't leave without at least saying goodbye!' Max pouted.

Max saw his papa hold his father's hand, when he gasped in shock.

'Well, you're just in time', Rafael grinned.

'You're normal again!' Maxwell noted.

Max felt a bit self-conscious, but he nodded. 'Yeah.'

'Are you guys coming back sometime?' Max asked. 'I'm having my rune ceremony in a month or so. We'll have a big party! You can come if you want.'

Max and Rafael looked at their parents.

'We'll think about it', Magnus answered. Alec's face was unreadable.

'So this is goodbye for now, I think', Maxwell said, sounding a bit sad. 'Oh! Max, I'll definitely beat you the next time we spar!'

'You wish', Max grinned.

'Boys', Magnus called. 'The portal will be closing soon, we have to hurry.'

'Okay', Rafael answered.

Max and Rafael were walking back to their parents when Rafael seemed to remember something. He turned back to face Maxwell.

'Max, don't trust anyone called Sebastian', he said.

The younger boy frowned. 'What do you mean?' He asked.

'Just- just don't', Rafael insisted.

'… I won't', Max said. 'I promise.'

'Good.'

They waived one last time before stepping through the portal.

They were finally going home.

.

.

.

Maryse sighed loudly when the portal disappeared. 'If there's _anything_ else that I need to know, then I'd like to hear it _right now_. Otherwise, I'm heading to bed. This day's been stressful enough.'

It was silent.

Alec shot Lydia a look. She nodded.

Alec shot Magnus a look. He raised an eyebrow in question.

'I have something to say', Alec declared.

'What is it?' Maryse asked warily.

'The wedding's off', Alec announced. He walked over to Magnus and pulled the Warlock into a kiss before anyone even comprehended what he'd just said.

Alec laughed into the kiss when he heard someone wolf-whistle. Most likely Jace.

 **THE END**


End file.
